The Last Will
by MLP Mike
Summary: In the depths of Hell, a group of survivors are pushed to their limit as they fight for their lives. Loosely based off The Binding of Isaac.
1. Corpse in the Dark

**The Last Will - Chapter One: Corpse in the Dark**

* * *

He opened his eyes and for a moment, the man thought he was blind. Everything within his vision was a pitch black, suffocating and smothering him with its emptiness. He was alive, that much he could tell. The cold floor pushed up against his back, chilling his skin and sending frozen shivers up his spine. He wanted to move. He needed to move, to do anything besides lie there and freeze to death in the darkness.

Sitting up, the man pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. The pressure there felt good, feeling anything besides the cold felt good.

_Cold_, the man thought. _I'm cold._

When he uncovered his eyes he found that the room was not nearly as dark as he remembered. His eyes had adjusted fully to the lack of light and now he could see his surroundings, along with the reason for his innate chilliness.

_Clothes. I need clothes._

He clambered to his feet and stumbled half a step before finding his footing on the smooth stone floor.

"Hello?" He croaked. His voice was raspy from lack of use. "H- Help?"

He took a step forward and immediately tripped over something lying in his way. The ground rushed up to meet him and he shot his hands forward, stopping his descent and preventing his nose from connecting with the floor. He pushed himself up to his knees and turned his head to investigate the disturbance. His heart froze when he saw the corpse.

In a split second, the man was back on his feet and several yards away. He breathed heavily looking at the body, thrown in a crumpled heap like a piece of garbage.

_That's a person_, He realized. _A dead person._

It was only after the wall met his back, that the man realized that he was still retreating. He closed his eyes again, trying to process what was happening. However, nothing was making sense. He couldn't remember why he was here, where he was, where he had been, or who he even was.

_Who am I?_

"_Cain."_ A voice said.

His eyes shot open once more and for a full minute the man did not move. There had been an answer to his question, a small voice in the back of his head that had spoken one word. It was a single word that made so much sense, but still confused the man beyond all reason. His name was Cain. He knew that now.

_Where am I?_ Cain asked the voice.

He paused, waiting for the voice to respond. It remained silent though and Cain was alone once more. He frowned, suddenly feeling annoyance mingle with his fear and confusion. He didn't know what was worse, being completely alone or knowing that someone was listening to him, but refusing to answer.

_Answer me._ Cain pleaded._ I don't know where I am._

He waited once more and was rewarded similar results to his first experiment. The voice was gone. Cain's eyes came to rest on the corpse again. It was another man, currently in the process of decomposing. His sandy hair was all but gone, save for a few fluffy tufts, and his face was gaunt. Sharp cheek bones pushed against his skin, threatening to tear the flesh and expose bone to open air. He was clothed, though and Cain considered taking the dead man's clothes.

_He does need them anymore_. Cain reasoned.

All trepidation seemed to have vanished from Cain as he relieved the corpse of its few belongings. His initial surprise at seeing the dead man had faded away, replaced with a grim understanding of what needed to be done. Cain was cold, nude, and alone. The man was dead, but that didn't mean he couldn't be of use. As Cain buttoned up his new shirt, he felt no guilt, only relief. He didn't feel quite as vulnerable anymore, or quite as cold.

Cain straightened up and stretched the last of the kinks from his back. The clothes fit him well enough. They would have to do until he got out of there, wherever "there" was. For the first time since waking up, Cain examined his surroundings with more scrutiny. He was in a room, completely empty except for Cain, the corpse, and the darkness. The floor was grey; the walls were grey, and the ceiling grey. It made Cain slightly nauseous to shift his gaze too much, as the walls seemed to blend together into one bleak surface.

He crossed to the nearest one, dragging his fingertips over the smooth surface. It felt like stone or something equally hard, cold and earthy. Cain wracked his knuckles on the wall experimentally, half expecting a hollow bump to reverberate from the contact. However, the rock was solid and as silent as ever.

He turned away to face to room as a whole again. Eventually he spotted it, set flush against the far wall. It was dark wood, heavy looking and sturdy. It was a door. Cain rushed forward, accidentally stumbling over the abandoned corpse once more. He looked down at the man, robbed of his life and dignity, and then he looked up again, towards the door.

"I'm going to get help." Cain rasped to the man who could no longer hear. "I'll come back for you."

It was the kind thing to do, make a promise to honor the nameless man and his unwilling generosity. Cain meant what he said. He wanted to make sure the man was buried properly, put to rest properly. It would never happen though, because when Cain made it to the door and pushed it open, there was no looking back.

* * *

If Cain was hoping to find rescue, assistance, or even a friendly face, he was sorely disappointed. Through the door was more stone, more blackness, and even more questions.

_What is this place, a dungeon?_

It seemed like a reasonable assumption as the maze that stretched before him certainly gave him the feeling of being trapped. Cain shot quick glances to his left and right. Hallways stretched off in both directions, fading into the blackness and beckoning him with their mystery. He wasn't going to make any progress just standing there and gawking at the unknown, Cain was a man of action and right now he needed to act.

He started off to his left, resisting the urge break out into a jog. Despite every fiber of his being screaming for him to rush to an exit, he knew that taking off blindly would only serve to confuse him and possibly get him lost in the catacombs. That did not sound appealing in the least. If he was going to get out of there, he needed to keep his wits about him.

He counted his footsteps under his breath as he walked.

"… six, seven, eight…"

If he needed to go back, he could just count backwards. It seemed like a good idea and having a plan, even one as simplistic as that, made him feel more at ease.

"… forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one…"

He passed a door, then another, and another. Each time, he would stop his count and risk a peek through the entryway. It was all in vain though, as every single new room was incredibly empty, none housing another soul, dead or alive.

"… seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine…"

There had to be some kind of landmark somewhere, something that differentiated the last ten yards with the next. Yet, the more Cain trudged on, the less and less that seemed likely. He came across no stairs, no corners, and no forks in the road. Everything was straight and everything was grey.

"… two hundred and twenty-two, two hundred and twenty-three…"

His throat and feet felt raw, as if every step and every breath punished him for trying. The air was cold and his boots were worn, only serving to aggravate his disgruntled body further. He was considering a rest when suddenly he heard a noise.

Cain stopped in his tracks and snapped his head towards a passing door, the source of the sound. It was the first thing he'd heard besides his own voice so far and even though it was faint, it seemed deafening to his deprived ears.

"Hello?" Cain asked of the door.

It responded quickly, emitting another rustling sound, as if someone was organizing a stack of papers. Cain moved towards the door.

"Is someone there?"

The heavy door swung open with some difficulty on its rusted hinges. Cain stood in the hallway staring into the room with disbelief.

"What in the-"

Spiders, there were hundreds of giant spiders, all bigger than a grapefruit. They scuttled across the floor, setting their beady black eyes on the startled man, or as they referred to him "dinner". Cain was frozen to the spot, unsure if he was actually seeing reality or not.

_This can't be real. _

And yet, as the first spider leapt forward and dug it's mandibles into Cain's shoulder, it certainly felt real. He cried out and swatted the giant bug away from him. However it was quickly replaced by two more that latched onto his arm and chest. Cain ducked away, dodging more of the leaping attackers and brushing away the ones already chewing at his shirt and skin.

The spiders poured from the open doorway like a river of furry legs and glowing eyes. Cain didn't want to risk shutting the door in an attempt to stem the flow, as that would put him right in the middle of the surging wave. There was really one option open to him: run.

He turned and sprinted down the hallway, back the way he had come. Spiders snapped their jaws at his heels and lunged after him, desperately trying to take a chunk out of the fleeing man. The sound of their many rustling legs sent a chill up Cain's spine and drove him to run faster, pounding his legs against the ground and propelling himself forward. He wasn't keeping count of his steps anymore, not that it mattered anyway. Returning to his original room didn't seem very appealing and he doubted that he would find much protection from the spiders in there.

Various doors whizzed by him, each as nondescript as the others. He had no idea how far he ran or for how long. All he knew was that he was exhausted. His long trek down the corridor, paired with his current race in the opposite direction was burning him out at an alarming rate. Soon enough, his step would falter or his legs would give out, and then he would be ripped apart by the arachnid horde.

A spider pushed off the ground and landed on his arm. It bit down and Cain screamed once more from the pain.

"No!" He yelled, digging deep within himself for the strength to push forward.

There was a door fast approaching on his left and Cain set his eyes on it. He had no idea what was lurking behind it or where it might lead, but he knew that almost anything was preferable than his current situation. With a final burst of speed, Cain put some distance between him and the swarm. His shoulder collided with the hard wood of the door and it gave under the force, swinging open to admit the frantic prey.

Cain spun on the spot, grabbing the edge of the door and slamming it shut. There was a loud slam as the wood fit back into place, followed by several feeble thumps as the spiders hurled themselves against the portal. Cain pressed his back against the surface, silently praying that it would hold the creatures as bay. After a few moments the feeble thumps ceased to arrive and Cain exhaled a deep breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Oh, god." Cain huffed, resting his head against the closed door. For the moment, he was safe.

There was still a dull ache in his elbow and when he investigated the pain, Cain found that the spider that had bit his arm was still there. He grimaced and brought his elbow back against the wall, crushing the spider with a sickening _squelching _sound and a splatter of red.

He was tempted to slump to the ground and take a much needed rest. There was a harsh stitch in his side and white splotches flashed over his vision, signaling a lack of oxygen. He needed to catch his breath, to just think for a moment. However there was one desire that eclipsed all the rest, which made everything else, even his physical state, seem unimportant. Cain needed to escape.

His gaze fell upon another door on the opposite side of the room. Cain pushed away from the door that was his savior and staggered across the ground, towards more of the unknown.

_If there are more spiders over here, _Cain thought as he pressed his palm against the door. _They can just eat me, I'm done._

Whether Cain would accept his death by spider or actually attempt to flee once more, would have to be left up to the imagination. Fore as the door swung open, something samll, black, and fast bolted into the room and collided with his chest. Cain tumbled backwards, grappling with his attacker and bracing himself for the inevitable collision with the earth.

He wasn't disappointed. The back of his head cracked against the cold ground and something hot and sticky coated his hair. His vision blurred and Cain watched as the black shape above him shifted around, eventually coming into focus.

"Oh." Cain coughed once he saw what it was, or _who_ it was.

It was a woman, young with dark hair and wide eyes. She was clothed in a black dress and in her hand she clutched a silver dagger. The woman blinked at Cain, apparently as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

She didn't respond to his simple attempt at conversation, either deeming his '_oh'_ not worth an answer or not worth her time. Instead, the woman climbed off of him and ran away, towards the far side of the room. Cain craned his neck to watch her progress. The woman seemed scared, terrified even.

"It's okay." Cain called to her, propping himself up on an arm. "I won't hurt you."

The woman turned to face him as he spoke. Her eyes shinned with tears and her head shook furiously, no. With a shaking hand, she pointed past Cain and towards the door that she'd just came from. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Cain followed her finger and stopped breathing entirely.

"Oh." He said again.

There was a monster in the doorway. It was massive, easily over ten feet tall, covered in fur, and very _very_ angry. The beast shouldered its way thought the doorway, crumbling away some of the stone in the process. Once it was fully in the room, it raised its enormous head and sniffed at the air with its black snout. It was a hunter and they were now the prey. The monster snapped its head in the woman's direction and she tightened her grip on her knife, backing further away towards the corner.

Cain swallowed hard, a million thoughts rushing through his head at once. First there was relief, as he was not alone in the catacombs. Then there was fear, since this monster will mostly likely tear them both the shreds in the next few seconds.

_Is this really it? _Cain wondered. _I escape the frying pan just to fall right into the fire._

As if he had spoken aloud instead of in his own head, the murderous monster shifted its attention to Cain. He was still prone on the ground, not daring to draw any more attention to him than strictly necessary. Nevertheless it was fruitless, as the monster had definitely noticed him anyway. It's meaty lips twisted up in a gruesome smile as the monster stooped low and wrapped one of it's clawed hands around Cain's neck.

The man gasped and kicked at the beast, missing his target by a mile. Cain was hefted into the air and held aloft in the monster's grasp. The sharp claws dug into his neck, bringing forth beads of red on Cain's skin and cutting off air flow to his lungs.

_I guess this is really it._

Instead of eating him though, the monster brought its other hand up and danced its razor sharp fingers before Cain's face. To reasons known only to the fearsome beast, it slowly reached over and slid its nails under the lid of Cain's left eye.

Cain screamed in pain and fear, feeling the blades scratch at his delicate organ. With a sharp tug, the monster popped Cain's eye from his socket severed the optic nerve with a pinch of it's fingers. Cain saw white, then red, and then finally black in a matter of seconds. Everything on his left side seemed to disappear and the sight in his remaining eye started to fade as well, plunging him into darkness once more.

It was too much. The _pain_ was too much.

Cain went limp in the monster's grasp and the beast gave a meaty laugh, before popping the eyeball into his mouth and popping it between his molars like an over-ripe grape.

The woman, meanwhile, had been torn on what to do. The gruesome display was shaking her greatly, threatening to break her already fractured resolve. She should run while the monster was distracted, save herself and live to die another day. However, as she watched apparently the only other human in the world about to die, she found herself leaping into action.

She dashed forward, raising her knife as she went, and with a strength not usually associated with women of her size, she stabbed her blade into the monster's thigh. The beast immediately dropped Cain and wheeled on the woman. It swung it's mighty arm, catching her by the middle and lifting her off of her feet. She was thrown backwards, skidding across the smooth ground and finally slamming into the far wall. Lights danced eyes and she barely registered as the monster advanced on her now. She had been stupid, so very stupid, and now it was time to pay the price.

Cain slumped to the ground, twisting against the cruel world and pawing at his ruined face. He squeezed his eyes shut, but that only worsened the pain on the left side of his face.

_No, no, no, no. Oh god please._

He rolled onto his side, curling himself into a ball. This really did seem like the end for him. Blind, broken, and beaten, Cain almost welcomed death now. He cursed whoever was responsible for putting him here. He cursed himself for not being fast enough, smart enough, or strong enough. Finally, he cursed that woman, for leading that monster right to him.

_The woman._

Cain forced his good eye open and pressed both of his hands over his ruined left one. His fingers did not stop the flow of blood, not in the slightest, and the pressure he applied only worsened the pain. Yet, he kept his palms there, as he did not know what else to do. His right eye seemed to be spinning around in his socket, flashing a series of images at him too quickly for him to analyze. Eventually he forced it to come to a stop and he caught sight of the giant bear-like monster bearing down on the dazed woman.

A hot fluid suddenly flowed through his vein, mixing with his blood and propelling him to his feet. Somehow this woman had prevented his death, if only for the time being. He would have to return the favor. The adrenaline may have temporarily restored his mobility, but it by no means made him reckless. Cain needed a plan, or better yet, a weapon.

A flash of silver caught his _eye._ The woman had dropped her dagger during the attack. Cain fell to his knees, sliding on the icy-floor and scrambling for the dagger with his hand. His fingers met steel and Cain gripped the weapon tightly, unintentionally slicing open his hand on the sharp blade. He cursed again and spun the knife around to hold the handle properly this time.

The monster grabbed the woman by her throat, much like he had held Cain before, and pulled her close to him. It's clawed hand rose again, preparing to repeat the blinding process once more, but before he could complete the ritual a white hot pain exploded between it's shoulder blades. The monster shrieked in pain and twisted away from the source of the pain. The woman was dropped and Cain pulled the knife free, before joining the woman on the ground.

It was too much. The _pain_ was too much

The monster obviously decided that this venture was more trouble than it was worth, as it rushed away from the scene, loping on all for limbs for extra speed. It would retreat, lick it's wounds, and return for revenge and a healthy meal.

The woman, now free, gasped for air and sucked oxygen greedily into her lungs. She was lying flat on the ground, too frightened and still too dazed to move. The monster, whatever it was, was now gone for the time being and that was a blessing. The only blessing they would receive for a long time to come. Currently though, the woman was content to lie on the floor for a while, as the cold surface felt good enough against her aching muscles.

She was almost comfortable, drenched in a cool sweat and bruised heavily along her back. Sleep had just promised to overtake her when abruptly a warm wave of water brushed up against the skin of her arm. She wished the water would leave her alone, so that she could rest. The water had other plans though, as it continued to pool around her, staining her flesh and soaking into her dress. The woman opened her eyes, twisted her neck, and found that it wasn't actually water that was drifting around her.

Cain was bleeding heavily from his left eye socket, lying a few feet away from her. The woman's jaw fell open as she looked at him. There was so much blood. He had to be dead, there was no way he could still survive this. Cautiously, as if the man might attack her, the woman rolled from her back and crawled over to him.

Amazingly, Cain lifted his head as she approached.

"Ellie?" He croaked.

"No," The woman shook her head and pointed at her chest. "Eve."

"Oh."

Cain passed out.

* * *

If he continued to bleed like he was, Cain would surely die. Taking a firm grip on the hem of her dress, Eve tore off a long strip. She then propped Cain's head in her lap and proceeded to wrap his head, covering his left eye socket and easing the flow of blood.

She rested him on the floor again and recovered her knife from where it had fallen once again. The weapon had done a good job, effectively fending off the monster. Eve had found it, along with her clothes, in her original room. Besides that though, she had found no other means for defense and besides Cain, she had encountered no other people. She was starting to lose hope in finding an exit when she was attacked. If it weren't for Cain, she would probably be dead, and if it wasn't for her, Cain would probably still have both eyes.

Eve couldn't take all the blame though. How was she supposed to know that going through that door would lead her right smack into Cain? The simple answer was that it was impossible to have known. The only thing left to do now was try and make it up to Cain for saving her life.

Eve examined the remains of the second door to their current room. The monster had broken the entryway completely by forcing it's way through the too small passage. Now there was nothing that she could do the block the entrance. They weren't safe there, she knew that. Eventually they would have to move.

A soft whimper caused her to jump slightly and Eve looked over to find that Cain was beginning to stir. She left the ruined door and made her way over to him, still cautious although smart enough to know that the wounded man would not, and most likely _could not, _hurt her.

"I- I can't," Cain gasped and felt at the shoddy bandage around his head. "I can't-"

"No." Eve reached down and brushed his hands away from his wound. "Don't touch it."

"My eye."

"I know."

Cain looked up at his nurse and frowned at her. She was trembling slightly, shivering as if from the cold.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"What?" Eve asked, looking down at him.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," She knelt down next to Cain. "No, I'm fine."

Cain nodded and took a shaky breath. He tried again, gingerly touching at his left eye and feeling the wet bandage that covered the empty socket.

"Who are you?" He shifted and slid over to the nearest wall, slumping against it. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know." She said honestly.

"Don't know, what?"

"Either one."

Cain shook his head, exhaling deeply.

"You said you name was Eve."

Eve nodded. She sat next to him, bringing her legs up to her chest and resting her chin upon her knees. Cain waited for her to say something, anything. She didn't respond though.

"I'm..." He thought for a moment. "Cain. My name is Cain."

Eve nodded once more. The name suited him. It was short, one syllable, straight and to the point. That was Cain.

"Are you alone?" He prodded.

"Yes."

"Do you know…? Do you know where we are?"

Eve shook her head, no.

"Do you know _anything_?"

"I can't remember," Eve closed her eyes and buried her face in her knees. "I can't remember anything."

Cain bit the inside of his cheek. This woman answered none of his questions, only raising more. The longer he spent in the catacombs the fewer things made sense. Why were they here? Were there other people here? Is there nothing here, but giant spiders and killer bears? For the umpteenth time since first waking up, Cain wished that he would just wake up from this nightmare.

"We can't stay here." Cain stated the obvious. He looked down at his shirt. The material was stained with his own blood and dust. He unbuttoned the cuffs and rolled up his sleeves as he spoke. "Do you know if there is an exit out of here?"

"I've been looking," Eve fixed her wide, dark eyes on him again. She forced herself to meet his gaze, as opposed to staring bluntly at the blood dripping out from underneath his bandage. "But there's no way out."

"There has to be." Cain put his hand against the wall and used the surface for support as he climbed to his feet. "This can't be it."

Eve moved to steady him as he started to slid to the floor again. He accepted her help, allowing her to take on some of his weight.

"Eve," Cain grimaced as his left eye throbbed painfully. "Do you have that knife?"

She showed it to him, pulling it from a belt around her middle and holding it out to him.

"No," He refused her offer. "You keep it. I'm not going to be much help right now."

Currently, Cain's entire depth perception was off. He would barely be able to walk in a straight line, let alone defend them efficiently with the dagger. The pair made their way over to the door. Eve poked her head out into the corridor, making sure the coast was clear, before looking to Cain and giving him another sharp nod.

"Alright," Cain took a deep breath. "Let's go."

They set off, into the unknown.

* * *

**As mentioned in the description, this story is very, very, very loosely based of The Binding of Isaac. It's an idea that has been bouncing around in my head for a long while and I hope that you like it. "The Last Will" is a redux of a story that I tried to write a long time ago. Hopefully things will work out better this time around. **

**In upcoming chapters we will learn more about this mysterious maze, our ragged survivors, and the dangerous beasts that lurk in the depths. Questions like: What is going on? Who is Ellie? Where is Isaac and the rest of the gang? Will all be answered soon. **

**If you have any comments drop a review or shoot me a PM.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**- Mike**


	2. Bad Dreams

**The Last Will - Chapter Two: Bad Dreams. Thanks to Wilhelm Wigworthy for reviewing.**

* * *

With a creak that sounded much louder than it actually was, the door swung open a crack and allowed for a limited view of the room's contents. It was enough though, since the man could make out three shapes staggering about the floor. Very slowly, he shut the door again and turned to his companions.

"Is it clear?" The woman asked.

"No," The man responded. "There are more dead ones in there, just three though. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Is it worth the risk?"

"We've dealt with more than three before," reasoned the second man. "I say we do it, since it's possible that their might be more supplies inside."

The first man, who's name was Isaac, nodded in agreement and looked to the woman.

"You can stay back, Maggie. It'll just be a second."

Magdalene bit her lip but did not voice her opposition again. They had searched so many rooms that she had lost track ages ago. It was always the same story, a few zombies guarding a chest or a flock of flesh eating insects blocking off a corridor. The rewards we never good enough to justify the conflicts, but Maggie didn't have any suggestions for another plan of action. So she went along anyways.

"Judas," Isaac regarded to the other man. "Do we still have that hatchet?"

"Yes," Judas shifted his messenger back up onto his hip and started rifling through it. The "rewards" they had found up to this point were few and far between, although several have proven useful. "Should I try and distract them?"

"If you think you can," Isaac accepted the hatchet from Judas and gripped it tightly in his palm. "Don't take any risks though. If too many of them pile together we're going to have a problem."

Judas passed his bag off to Maggie and positioned himself next to the door with Isaac. Isaac leaned against the door, ready to shove it open once more. The element of surprise was important when taking down the dead ones, or so they had leaned. They needed to rush in and take as many down as quickly as possible to be efficient. Isaac glanced at Maggie.

"Shut the door after we get inside. We don't want anything coming up from behind."

"Alright." She clutched the strap of the bag tightly and held her breath as Isaac started to count.

"1… 2… 3." Isaac shoved the door open and barreled into the room, his friends not far behind. Maggie stopped just inside of the new space, slamming the door shut after them. Judas scanned the room quickly, finding that there were in fact only three zombies milling together in the center. He also spotted a collection of stones heaped in the corner where the wall had partially collapsed. Rushing over to them, Judas selected the biggest one he could carry and hefted it over his head.

Isaac charged straight towards the first zombie. He chopped down with his hatchet, catching the reanimated corpse on the temple and burying the sharp wedge of his weapon in the rotted skull. The monster crumpled instantly under the blow, folding in half like a piece of paper. The remaining two noticed their companion fall and stumbled over towards the nearest living soul, which just so happened to be Isaac.

As the first dead one fell, Isaac was brought down with it, as he kept a steady grip on his hatchet. The tool was still stuck in the monster's head and as he tried to tug it free, it remained stubbornly glued. Isaac glanced up to see the other zombies converging on him. He cursed under his breath and pulled once more on the hatchet.

There was a harsh crack as Judas threw his rock with all of his might and struck the zombie nearest to Isaac in the ear. The monster tumbled to the ground and bounced once against the floor before coming to a rest. Judas didn't waste any time though, he rushed forward, reclaimed his stone, knelt above the zombie, and then slammed his improvised weapon onto it's forehead. Skin and bone gave way under the force and the entire head was crushed in an impressive splatter of blood.

Isaac gritted his teeth, put his shoe on his zombie's cheek, and finally managed to rip his hatchet free. As the final corpse approached, Isaac swung his hatchet and severed it's head completely from it's shoulders. He took a step back as the body fell, shielding his face to prevent any of the spurting blood from getting in his eyes or mouth.

"You alright?" Isaac stepped forward and offered his hand to Judas. The other man grasped his forearm and pulled himself to his feet.

"Yes, although I think we should come up with a better way to deal with these things in the future." Judas replied, and then pointed to the section of collapsed wall. "What do you think caused that?"

"I don't know, probably something big, something dangerous," Isaac crossed to the pile and knelt down, examining the crushed stone. "And something we don't want to bump into."

Judas grimaced, thinking that Isaac was probably right, and decided that searching the room should be his next course of action. Maggie, who had wisely stayed out of harms way, moved forward next to Isaac. She dug into their pack and pulled out a rag, before holding it out to him.

"You got some red on you." She gestured to his bloodied arms.

"I'm fine," Isaac refused her offer, straightening up and shoving his hatchet into his belt. "We might need a clean rag later. So just hold onto it for now."

She sighed and turned from him, stowing the rag away again. They had become something of an effective team after finding each other in the catacombs. Isaac and Judas were able to handle themselves relatively well against the dead ones, while Maggie couldn't help but feel a little useless sometimes. Not to mention, killing them actually made her feel a little uncomfortable.

Isaac took note of her body language, sensing that something was bothering her. It wasn't surprising really, considering their situation there were a lot of things that could be considered troubling. The maze, their amnesia, the monsters, none of it made sense.

"Are _you_ alright?" Isaac probed.

"Yes, I'm not hurt."

"I know, but are you feeling okay?"

Maggie glanced at Isaac and their eyes met. She sifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"The dead ones, they… they look like people, Isaac."

"Yes." He agreed.

"We shouldn't _kill_ people."

Isaac rested his hands on his hips and stared into her eyes. They were blue and bright, contrasting harshly with her grimy face and hair. He needed to say something, something that made sense and something that could ease her anxiety.

"They may have been people before but they aren't anymore," He reasoned. "They aren't in their right mind and we don't even know if they're alive anymore. What we do know is that we _are _alive and we need to stay that way, no matter what."

Maggie nodded and looked away from Isaac, trying to play off her momentary trepidation and act nonchalant. However, he could tell that his words didn't entirely put her conscience at peace. He reached out and gripped her shoulder.

"You don't have to do anything that you're uncomfortable with, Mags."

"I'll do whatever I have to do." She smiled at him in what she hoped was a reassuring way. Isaac was about to respond when Judas called out.

"There's something over here." He beckoned the pair over towards him and as Isaac and Maggie joined him, they saw what he had found.

On the far side of the room, there was another corpse, this time thoroughly dead, huddled protectively over a wooden chest. It's skeletal hands gripped the edges of the lid in the steely claws of rigor mortis and it's bony cheek was pressed against the wood as if in worship. Judas gingerly peeled the body from the box and Maggie winced as the sound of the ancient bones creaking reached her ears. Isaac knelt down again and felt his fingers around the latch of the chest.

"What do you think?" Isaac shot a look at Judas, tapping his fingers against the box. "More supplies?"

"There's only one way to find out."

Isaac nodded and took a deep breath. With a quick flick of the wrist, he popped the latch and flipped the chest open, exposing the items within.

"Hmm." Isaac hummed and started riffling through the contents.

"Is there any food?" Maggie couldn't help but ask, leaning over his shoulder and peering inside the box. The only food they had managed to find so far had been a rotten apple and a few rats, which they haven't managed to catch yet. They were all feeling the sharp pangs of hunger.

"No," He replied, shaking his head and huffing slightly. "There are bits of paper, some more twine." Isaac paused and pulled out a wooden stick. It was about a foot long and a about as thick as his thumb. He passed that to Judas. "What do you think of that?"

"It think…" Judas tested the end of the stick against the skin of his arm. "You could poke somebody's eye out with this." He stepped over to Maggie and put the stake in their bag, while Isaac kept searching.

There wasn't a lot of stuff. The majority of the chest was filled with scraps of paper, as if to protect some thing delicate from being jostled too much during a journey. However, as Isaac felt his way about the bottom of the chest, his fingers encountered something soft and furry. He grabbed the object and pulled it out.

"Well, here is something." It was a jacket. It was made of dark wool and had a furry collar that had once been white but was now aged a dull yellow. "You can have this, Mags."

He passed it to her and she took it gratefully, shaking the jacket and dusting more scraps of paper from the creases. It was cold in the catacombs and Maggie couldn't help but smirk slightly as she pulled the coat over her bare shoulders.

"You wouldn't happen to have any pants in there, would you?" She asked, toying with the hem of her dress.

"Afraid not," Isaac frowned. "Although…" He pulled out the last item and held it up to her. She took it and turned it over in her hands, staring at it quizzically. Judas, on the other hand, grinned and snatched it swiftly from her grasp.

"Now, we're talking." He put it on his head.

"What in the name of all sanity is that?" Maggie giggled.

"It's a fez," Judas patted his new hat fondly. "I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool."

Isaac watched as Judas smiled and Magdalene laughed and he could help but feel a little warmth creep into his chest. He hadn't seen his companions this happy in… well _ever._ They hadn't been together for that long and the time that they were was filled with one peril or another. For a moment, Isaac admired the white flashes of Judas's teeth and the bouncing yellow curls of Maggie's hair. As far as he knew, they were the only people left in the world. He loved them.

_She's really beautiful, isn't she?_

Isaac wiped at his face with his hands, dragging the skin downwards and simultaneously brushing off the fatigue that tugged at his bones. Reluctantly, he stood up and put an end to the moment of peace.

"We should go." He said. "I don't think it's safe to set up a camp here."

"I agree," Judas nodded to the smashed wall and the pile of stones in the corner. "Whatever made that mess might return."

Isaac took two fistfuls of the paper scraps from the chest and shoved them into his pockets. They would make for good tender later.

"Stay close, okay." He led the group towards the door, pulling his hatchet from his belt as he went. Easing the door open, Isaac glanced outside and made sure the coast was clear. "Let's go."

* * *

As they exited the room, Isaac used his hatchet to scratch a messy "X" into the heavy wood of the door. They had made a habit of this, marking rooms that they'd visited to prevent pointless back tracking. It was a good plan and a small step towards finding an exit. Eventually, Isaac mused, they would narrow down enough rooms so that they would find the exit.

_If it even exists_. Isaac couldn't help but think to himself.

He silently cursed himself for his pessimism. That was the first step towards giving up and if he lost hope now, then he not only damned himself, but his companions as well. Isaac couldn't do that. He _wouldn't _do that. He'd made a deal with himself early on that he would get everyone out alive. It was a foolish deal though, and was actually a good indicator of one of Isaac's most crucial flaws.

He took responsibility. It was bad decision in the long run. Isaac would learn the hard way, but that's to come.

Currently, he led the way down the corridor, his axe at his side and his ear pricked for danger. Maggie and Judas trailed a few steps behind, keeping Isaac's command of "staying close" in the forefront of their mind. Suddenly, something on the ground caught Judas's eye and he stooped quickly to snag his fortunate prize.

"What's that?" Maggie asked, seeing Judas's face light up. He held his hand out to her, palm up, and she caught sight of what appeared to be just another rock. "What?" Maggie repeated.

"It's graphite." Judas explained, tossing his stone into the air and catching it again.

"Can we eat it?"

"No."

"Then I don't care."

Judas chuckled and reached over, digging his hand into their messenger bag that still hung around Maggie's shoulder. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for and pulled out a leather bound book. They had found the blank volume pretty early during their scavenging. Isaac had seen the heavy pages as a source of potential fire kindling, while Judas had seen the book to hold much greater potential.

He flipped the cover open and, gasping his graphite between his fingers, started to write across the first page. Maggie watched him work, mildly interested.

"Writing a novel, are you?" She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear.

"Taking notes," He corrected. "Writing things down can organize thoughts, make things easier to understand, help us figure things out." Judas was talking fast, bobbing his head as he went. Although he kept his gaze fixed the book, which was steadily being filled with information, he somehow managed to continue walking without issue.

Maggie nodded, conceding his point as valid. It made sense to keep a journal. It might just keep Judas sane, after all. God knew that Maggie would have liked some sort of hobby or pastime, besides general survival, to keep her mind off of their predicament. However, if she had to pick, Maggie would probably put writing a journal near the bottom of her list. Not only dealing with the mystery that surrounded them, but actually thinking about it and researching it was not appealing to her in the least.

_Let the smart ones figure it out. _She reasoned. _My brain is barely keeping up as it is._

Despite her reservations, Maggie couldn't stop herself from picking Judas's brain.

"Well what are you writing so far?"

"I'm documenting our awakenings, our ventures from our original rooms, finding each other, the amnesia," He kept his head down the whole time, still writing furiously. "This place," Judas waved a hand noncommittally. "It has to be underground or at least subterranean. Yet, the temperature and humidity is all wrong. It's too cold and the air is about as dry as it gets. We might be in the middle of a mountain or something equally hidden but above the sea level."

"Have you thought that maybe this might all be a dream?" Maggie asked. "That maybe we're all just all in a coma somewhere."

"That's not possible," He shook his head. "We can't all be having the same dream."

"What if we aren't? What if it's just me and you guys are all just a part of the dream?"

Isaac glanced over his shoulder at them. He had been listening to their conversation with half of his attention, although now he couldn't help but put in his two cents.

"I promise you, Mags, we aren't dreaming and neither are you." Isaac slowed his pace to match theirs, so now the three walked abreast. "You can't honestly believe that you could imagine all of this, can you?"

"I don't know," She signed and leaned into Isaac, bumping her head against his shoulder. "It would certainly make things a whole lot easier. I could just wake up then."

Isaac smiled to himself, watching a tuft of her blonde hair escape from the collar of her coat and snake along his shirt. He had gotten lucky, having found himself a heavy cotton sweater to block out the biting cold. It was one of the blessings that he had gotten and one of the few he would ever get. He couldn't help but pity Maggie in her thin dress. The new coat would definitely help, but finding her a new set of clothes would have to be put on their ever increasing to-do list.

_Shelter, food and water, _Isaac swallowed hard and winced as the walls of his throat scrapped together like two pieces of sandpaper. _Water._

Dehydration would kill them quicker than any combination of zombies, spiders, or bear-monsters. Isaac hoped they would find a way out before things got truly desperate, but until then he would be keeping an eye out for any source of sustenance.

"We should go up." Judas said suddenly, rousing Isaac from his thoughts.

"What?" Isaac prompted, more from surprise than from an actual need for an explanation.

"If I'm right and we're underground, then we should go up to get out, in theory."

"_In theory_," Maggie scoffed. "Well the next time you see a set of stairs, let me know."

Isaac had to give her a point. The maze up to this point had been entirely lateral.

"I'm just making a suggestion," Judas snapped his book shut and passed it, along with his graphite, to Maggie for storage. "Having a plan, even one half-baked, will boost morale and keep us motivated."

"Your right," Isaac fought the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. It was good to know that he wasn't the only one fretting over keeping everyone happy. "But until then, we should set up camp pretty soon, get some rest."

As if on cue, a massive yawn contorted Maggie's face. She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and muttered a swift apology. Isaac allowed himself a small chuckle at this. It seemed more than a little ironic that she would still keep social etiquette in mind.

"Up here." Judas pointed and Isaac tore his eyes away from Magdalene to find that there was a new door approaching on their right.

"Alright," Isaac hefted his hatchet and jogged the rest of the distance towards the room. His companions followed. "Hold formation, if there's anything too big to handle we run away. Got it?"

He looked to his friends and waited for them to nod in agreement. It didn't take long. Isaac pressed his hand against the door and slowly eased it open a crack, giving him a small view of what lay inside.

* * *

**Chapter two is posted and I have to say I am very excited to be writing this story. I usually write fanfiction for "Spider-Man", but I'm having a good time with this. It's a good way to cleanse my pallet of the web-swinger and get my creative juices flowing. **

**I love the Binding of Isaac and I'm super pumped for Rebirth to come out. (Whenever that is) If you haven't figured it out yet, this story has very little to do with the actual Binding of Isaac lore and story-line. It's my own little silly creation that is inspired by a great number of things. There are going to be a lot of references and nods to other media in here. I like to toss things in like that, just for fun.**

**Thanks for reading. Leave a review if you've got the time.**

**- Mike**


	3. A Monster Within

**The Last Will - Chapter Three: A Monster Within**

* * *

"You see these, right here." Cain pointed and Eve nodded. "Rat droppings, that means they must come by this way often." He had found large flat rock and he used a stick to prop it up. "They'll come by this way, and bump the stick," Cain nudged the twig and the rock slapped against the earth with a solid _thud_. "Setting off the trap."

"Will it kill them?" Eve asked. She was leaning against the wall, watching Cain as he crouched down next to his contraption. Her knife was being turned over and over repeatedly in her hands, the silver blade glinting in the dim light.

"Maybe, it might just end up trapping them." He stood up and wobbled for a second, unsteady on his feet. Eve reached out to grab his arm and he righted himself quickly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, just a little light headed." Cain dusted his hands off on his pants, before gingerly feeling around the bandage around his head. "I think I'm going to be okay, though."

Eve bit the inside of her cheek, only nodding as an indication of her agreement. Surviving in the maze was hard enough, doing it with a handicap seemed near impossible. She wasn't considering Cain a liability, not yet. However she had to admit, the injury he had sustained greatly hindered his effectiveness as a companion.

Abandoning him wasn't only the last thing on her mind, but it was also an incredibly stupid notion. They had learned first hand that there was strength in numbers, even if half of those numbers were partially blind. Eve caught herself staring at that bloody side of Cain's face. She tore her eyes away again and swallowed hard, distracting herself by gazing off down the corridor.

_We should find some water soon, _She thought. _Not only for drinking, but for cleaning off some of this blood._

They had both been thoroughly soaked, and the dried blood on Cain's face cracked like an eggshell every time he talked or blinked his remaining eye. Eve looked down at her frayed dress and its gruesome dark brown stains. She felt dirty, impure. As if a million baths could not wash away the feeling of complete and utter filth.

"Come on, we should set up a camp nearby so we can get some rest and then check the trap later." Cain led the way down the corridor, dragging the palm of his left hand along the wall as he went. He kept Eve in his sight, subconsciously making sure she was safe. Despite the frustration and anger bubbling beneath his skin, he forced a calm face, if only for Eve's sake.

The encounter with the monster played itself once more in his head and Cain cursed silently once more. If he had just been a little faster, a little smarter, he could have possibly avoided being mutilated. The pain was constant and the strip of fabric around his head itched like crazy. Compounded with the hunger, thirst, and fatigue, Cain was in a seriously bad mood.

"Can I ask you a question?" Eve spoke suddenly. Cain was surprised, up to this point his companion hadn't spoken without reason or prompt. Her soft voice was almost deafening in his ears.

"Yes."

"When you first saw me, you called me Ellie." The small woman looked up and met the slender man's eye. "Who is that? Did you meet someone else here?"

Cain blinked at her. For her, that was the equivalent of a very lengthy speech. He had honestly forgotten most of their brief introduction before he had lost consciousness. But now that she mentioned it, he did in fact remember uttering the name.

_Ellie_.

"I- I don't know." Cain wracked his brains, searching for the owner of the name. There was nothing though, no faces nor memories attached to the name. There was nothing except in his head except a corpse, spiders, and Eve. "I don't know who that is."

"Oh."

Not knowing was the worst part, in Eve's opinion. It seemed like the only thing they were capable of was ignorance.

"What do you remember?" Cain asked, hoping that Eve would keep up the trend of conversation.

"Nothing," She set her eyes on the floor. "Just waking up, finding you. That's it."

He cocked his head, getting a better look at the frail woman. There was something she wasn't telling him. Cain could sense it somehow in her body language and in her words. Another emotion joined the anger and frustration in the oven that was his chest: exasperation.

"Eve," He caught her eyes again. "You trust me, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you really?"

"You saved my life."

"And you mine."

"Yes."

Cain came to a stop, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, also bringing her to a halt. Eve looked at him quizzically, her wide eyes dark and unreadable.

_She's hiding something._

"Are _you_ okay?" Cain asked. He didn't have the insensitivity to call her out blatantly. Besides her secretive nature, she had given him to reason to mistrust her.

"Yes." Eve nodded at him. "I'm fine, why?"

"Just making sure." Cain led the way down the corridor once more. For the time being, he decided to drop his suspicions. She wasn't trying to kill him, which was more than could be said for the rest of the things in the catacombs. Above all, Cain needed Eve. Two pairs of eyes and a sharp blade were useful in more ways than one.

There was a door approaching on the left and they made a beeline towards it.

"Let's see what's in here," Cain said as he took up a position on one side of the door. "If it's safe we can rest here for a while."

Eve nodded in agreement, drawing her dagger and clutching it tightly in her palm. Cain watched the silver glistening menacingly at him, looking absurdly big in her slender hand. He took a deep breath and pressed his hands against the door. With a swift push, it swung open and Eve pushed her way inside, followed closely by Cain.

She came to a halt almost immediately, stopping mid-step and causing Cain to bump into her back slightly. He was about to inquire what the problem was, until he got a good look at the room they had just entered. Frankly, the space was massive, much bigger than any one they've visited previously. The ceiling hung high above their heads and the far wall stretched away from them, easily over a hundred feet.

"Wow," Cain breathed, before wondering aloud. "What's so special about this place?"

Eve shook her head, gazing around the cavern. She saw it then, in the very center of the space. It was a house, of sorts, small and made of dark wood. It was a hut more than anything and despite it being similar in color to the grey walls and floor, the stout building stood out like a sore thumb.

She started towards it, planning on finding what secrets lay inside, but Cain grabbed her arm.

"What?" Eve demanded, turning to face him.

"Do you hear that?"

His face was grim, his eye dark, and his head cocked. Eve immediately pricked her ears. She could sense his apprehension, his fear. There was something coming and as she listened, she could hear the uneven drumbeats of massive feet.

"We need to move," Cain shoved her forward, pointing towards the mysterious hut. "Get in there."

She obeyed immediately, breaking into a full on sprint and tearing across the open ground as a black streak. Judging by the unsteady breaths on her neck, Cain wasn't far behind and although weakened considerably he did his best to keep pace. They were about halfway to their sanctuary when the entryway behind them exploded in a shower of loose stones and heavy dust.

Cain shot a look over his shoulder and then cursed before switching his gaze to his other side. It would be a while before he got used to being half blind, if he lived that long. After getting a glance behind them, his fears were confirmed. The bear-like monster that had attacked them before and taken his eye had returned.

It was blood stained, hungry, and very angry. As it loped across the floor, gaining speed which each tiny lunge, Cain's heart sank even further. There was no way they would make it to the hut in time and even if they did, there was no guarantee that they would be safe inside. He made a snap decision, one that would prove himself to be unable to survive in this new world. Cain put someone else before himself.

With a final shove against Eve's back, pushing her forward, he turned at charged at the monster head on. A raspy scream tore itself from his throat and he collided with the beast's chest, managing to stumble it by throwing the entirety of his weight at it.

Eve glanced back and gasped as Cain attempted to sacrifice himself, earning her a few more seconds of life. She was tempted to continue running, to leave him behind and save herself. However after only a couple more steps, she came to a screeching halt, the smooth soles of her shoes sliding on the flat floor. She wheeled around and dashed back towards the beast and her sole companion.

She watched in horror as the monster recovered from Cain's surprise attack and grabbed the struggling man by the throat, slinging him around like a ragdoll. The beast wasn't toying with them anymore. It was out for blood, vengeance. Even as she retraced her steps, Eve knew she would never make it in time. Cain was as good as dead with only Eve and her simple knife to save him.

A flame blossomed inside of Eve's chest and her eyes widened even further. She didn't stop running though. If anything, she put more power behind her strides. It was happening again. Eve could feel it. As the murderous monster drew closer to her, her vision went red and then there was nothing.

* * *

They were on the moon. It was barren, cold and completely devoid of all life. There were no trees, no grass, birds, or songs. It was only them, alone forever. Maggie shivered and turned to her single companion, seeking warmth from his natural strength. He was like a fire, powerful and burning. He kept her alive, kept her warm. Without the fire, she was dead. Without him, there was no chance.

Maggie shivered again, this time with enough force to actually rouse her from her slumber. She was back in the catacombs, still on the moon. For a moment, she was upset. The group had barely gotten any sleep for the past few…

_How long have we been here? Days, weeks, months?_

The thought caused Maggie to shiver for a third time. They couldn't see the sky; therefore they had no idea what time of day it was or how many of those days had passed. It was really disrupting her biological clock, her sleep cycles, and her mood.

She considered shutting her eyes again and attempting to gain a few more precious minutes of sleep. It seemed silly to let one bad dream ruin her night. However, no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible. Once Maggie had awoken, there was next to no chance she could coax herself back under.

With a huff, she pushed herself up in to the sitting position, planning on getting a head start on sorting out their new supplies. After entering the new room, the group had encountered a relative gold mine of resources. The most prevalent being a small jug of water. Maggie licked her lips, imagining taking a glorious sip from the container, when suddenly she paused. Something warm and heavy fell away from her as she sat up, sliding from her waist and coming to rest on her thigh.

She froze, immediately thinking of the worst. A giant snake was wrapping itself around her, or some animal was using her body as a pillow. When she looked down though, all the fear evaporated to be replaced with genuine confusion. It was an arm, a human arm, and from closer inspection Maggie was able to deduce who the appendage belonged to. Isaac had shifted over to her during their sleep and put his arm around her.

For what felt like a long time, Maggie stared down at the sleeve of his bloodstained sweater, which was brushing up against the fabric of her dress. She didn't mind. He was keeping her warm, keeping her safe. It felt nice to know that someone was looking after her and the gesture itself was innocent enough. Then again, it didn't feel as innocent when sudden heat started to creep up into her cheeks.

To her utter horror, Isaac started to stir. She watched, petrified, as he blinked his eyes open and looked up at her. There was a single beat as both the man and the woman considered the circumstances. Isaac couldn't help but give a rare grin to his friend.

"Sorry." He chuckled, moving his arm away from her and sitting up himself.

"No," Maggie responded too quickly. "It's no problem at all."

Isaac stretched towards the ceiling and rubbed at his eyes, groaning slightly as his aching muscles protested against him. Sleeping on the hard, flat floor was bound to give him back problems one day, that being the least of his worries.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asked, rising to his feet and moving over to their bag.

"Yes, yes I did." Maggie lied. She wasn't about to tell him about her brief dream, which didn't seem quite as random as it had before.

"That's good." Isaac pulled the water jug and his hatchet from the pack, before tossing the former lightly to Magdalene. She took a tender sip, keeping in mind their limited supply. "We got lucky," Isaac continued to speak, all the while looking around their surroundings. "This room had good stuff, water, bandages, and more rope."

"I'd hardly call that '_good_'," Maggie got up too and passed the jug back to him. "And I'd hardly call those '_bandages_'."

Isaac had to give her that one. The strips of fabric that they'd found were no doubt the complete opposite of sanitary, but in a pinch, they just might end up being enough to save a life. He took a drink from the jug before stowing it away again, along with most of their supplies. They would head out soon, try and explore more of the catacombs.

Over on his side of the room, Judas mumbled, still asleep. Maggie watched him tremble, frowning slightly.

_I guess we're all having nightmares._

She shrugged on the coat Isaac had found her. The fur collar was soft and warm and she stroked it fondly.

"Where do you think all this stuff comes from?" She asked of Isaac, still petting her coat.

Isaac looked up and guessed the topic of her question by the attention she was paying to her clothes.

"I don't know," He closed up their messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder. "People who came before, I guess."

She nodded. It made sense, sort of. The next question raised though, was what happed to the people before? Where they all dead or had they managed to escape? She was just about to voice her thoughts to Isaac, when suddenly a harsh sound erupted from somewhere outside their sanctuary.

It was a high-pitched pitiful wail, which echoed down the corridor and flooded into their room, bouncing off the walls. Isaac immediately dashed towards the door, drawing his hatchet as he went.

"Isaac!" Maggie called, throwing her arm out to stop him a moment too late. Judas's eyes shot open and he rolled over just in time to see Isaac throw open the door and disappear into the darkness.

"What's going on?" Judas snapped, clambering to his feet and smashing his Fez onto his head.

"I don't know." was Magdalene's only response as she took off after Isaac. Judas groaned and without a choice, was forced to follow after his companions.

* * *

The still wind howled in Isaac's ears as he ran, skidding around a corner, bouncing off the wall, and pushing himself deeper into the tombs. The noise was still ringing through the earth, chilling his bones and berating his ears. It sounded like nothing he'd ever heard before, part human, part beast and completely terrifying.

Despite every fiber of his being urging him to turn around and seek shelter elsewhere, Isaac kept moving forward. Nothing roared like this for no good reason. Something was happening and when things happened, living, breathing people tended to be involved. People who could be in trouble, people who needed Isaac's help.

Then the noise stopped. Isaac kept running for a few more yards, before coming to a stop as well. The maze was silent once more, completely and horrifyingly silent.

"Isaac!"

He wheeled around, raising his axe as Maggie approached and nearly swiping her head from her shoulders. Maggie gasped and stumbled backwards into Judas, who grunted from their impact.

"Mags," Isaac lowered his weapon and grabbed onto her shoulder, preventing her from falling further. "Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting you to follow."

"Well what did you expect me to do?" She snapped, righting herself and glaring daggers at him. "You can't go running off by yourself that's really dangerous."

"I know, but I heard something." Isaac turned from her and looked down the passage and around the walls, as if expecting the noise to pick up again.

"The screams?" Judas stepped around Maggie and joined Isaac. "That didn't sound human, Isaac."

"Someone could have been fighting it," Isaac turned and started down the corridor again. "They have to be around here somewhere."

"Even if there is someone else out here, you can't just go charging off into the unknown every time you think there's trouble." Maggie continued her tirade, stalking after him. "You aren't-"

"That's how I found you." Isaac interrupted as he glanced over his shoulder. "It's how we got together."

That gave her pause and she was silent for a moment, although not any happier. He had pulled a trump card by reminding her of the circumstances of their own meeting. If he didn't gallivant into every fray with the possibility of helping someone, Maggie would most certainly be already dead, possibly Judas too. She appreciated his heroics up to a point, and then it was just infuriating.

"Hold on a second," Judas jogged after them. "Isaac, the noise has stopped and even if it hadn't the acoustics in this place are all out of sorts. They could be miles away; you'll never find them now."

"Well what do you suggest?" Isaac heard the truth in his friend's words and came to a stop.

"I move that we get back to camp, think of an escape plan, and continue with our original goal of getting out of here."

"And just abandon these people?"

"Isaac, you don't even know if there are any people."

"But there could be."

"Of course there could be," Maggie stepped forward, hands clasped in front of her. "But you said it yourself earlier: 'we don't know if they're alive, but we do know that _we_ are alive'. We have to do whatever we can to keep it that way."

Isaac sighed, defeated by his own logic. It didn't feel right to him though, abandoning the possibly that someone might be out there and in grave danger. However, as he looked hard at Magdalene and read her face, her blue eyes reminded him that he already had responsibilities. By charging off, he put everyone he cared about at risk and for what? A possibility?

"Alright," Isaac took her hand and led the way back to camp. "Let's go."

She allowed herself a smug smile while Judas just rolled his eyes. He had been rudely awoken, led on a wild goose chase, and now he had to watch the pair make goo-goo eyes at each other for what could possibly be the rest of his life.

Oh well, Judas watched their laced fingers. Things could be a lot worse.

He should have found some wood to knock on, because at that moment Isaac came to a sudden stop again.

"What is it?" Judas asked.

"I think..." Isaac exhaled deeply. "I think we're lost."

* * *

Cain opened his eye. He gasped for breath and pawed at his own chest, pulling at the buttons of his shirt. He was burning alive. The flames were lapping at his skin and biting at his nerves. His blood boiled, his skin melted, and Cain was sure that he had finally arrived in hell.

With a strangled cry, he pushed himself over onto his hands and knees and vomited up putrid bile onto the stone floor.

"Oh, god," Cain gasped between his dry, feeble heaves. "Eve." He rasped, instantly remembering his friend. "Eve!"

The burning sensation was fading away now only to be replaced with the icy grip of fear. Coughing violently on nothing, Cain staggered to his feet. His boots slipped in his own sick and he came crashing back down again, landing with a sickening _splat_ on the ground once more. The back of his head cracked against he ground and stars danced before his vision momentarily.

"Eve!" He tried again, once more receiving no answer from the woman.

_Come on! _Cain screamed in his own head, pushing himself to rise once more.

He attempted it again, being careful not to let his feet slide out from under him again. A quick glance around the room caused him to gasp in surprise. Things were very different from what he remembered before passing out again.

What he had originally though to be vomit that he had slipped on, was actually blood. There was so much blood. It was a literal sea of red that coated the floor, his shoes, and his unfortunate clothes. The monster that had attacked them for the second time now lay in two separate pieces a good distance apart, thus explaining the source of the blood.

"What in the…" Cain stared blankly at the dead beast, wondering what could have possibly killed such a massive and dangerous creature. A pit formed in his now empty stomach, as he also wondered what other monstrosity was lurking around them, ripping apart its fellow hell-spawns.

Cain picked his way across the ground, sloshing through the fleshy matter, and hissing for Eve every so often. Eventually, his foot encountered something solid and he stumbled slightly. A quick glance down and Cain cursed under his breath once more. It was Eve

He knelt down, gripped her firmly under the arms, and peeled her away from the sticky ground. She was absolutely bathed in the red sludge, her dress ripped, her hair matted, and her skin was hot to the touch, nearly scalding.

"Hey," Cain patted at her cheek lightly, trying to rouse her. "Come on, Eve."

She was unresponsive and limp in his arms. He exhaled heavily, exhausted with life. Cain found Eve's knife several feet away, buried under the red. He shoved it in his belt, scooped up Eve, and trudged the rest of the way to the hut, leaving the severed beast to rot in the tombs.

The stone house was very plain, although since it was the only structure they'd seen so far Cain still found his curiosity peaked. It was also the only source of shelter nearby. He set Eve down on one of the few dry patches of earth and advanced on the front door of the dwelling, pulling out the knife as he went.

The entry way swung open with little pressure, a good sign. The hinges were not rusted or broken, they were fresh and clean, recently used.

"Hello?"

He stood in the threshold, peering into the house. It was one room, spartan and devoid of furniture, save for a wooden chest against the back wall. Cain crossed the room and knelt down in front of the box. It was the first he'd seen and initially he was unsure of what to make of the container. Cain thumped the hilt of the knife against the lid, as if expecting it to open wide and attempt to swallow him whole.

The chest, however, remained inanimate and Cain decided to risk taking a peek inside. There was a bundle of fabric, a blanket. He pulled it out and threw it off the side. Underneath that, was a canvas rucksack, empty except for a glass jar. Cain put that off to the side too. Other than that the box was empty and Cain couldn't help but feel a little slighted. Not that he expected there to be any great treasure inside, but that the rewards didn't seem worth the risk.

He quickly scanned the rest of the room and was surprised to find that he saw something that he had noticed until this point. One of the four corners of the small hut was dedicated to a circular hole and when Cain investigated it further, he found it to be filled with a still, dark water.

He licked his lips, staring down at the statuesque pool. His mouth was dry, his hands and face bloody. The water called to him unashamedly. With a careful hand, he dipped his fingertips into the liquid. It was cold, much like everything else in the catacombs, and very wet. It was everything Cain dreamed it would be.

Shoving his face in the water, Cain drank greedily and washed his wounds. He wanted to cry, to weep openly into this sweet pool and know that any wasted water could be replaced with ease. Eve was still outside and Cain reluctantly tore himself away from the pool to carry her indoors.

He washed her in the pool, sweeping the blood from her hair and grime from her face and hands. Eve was small, absolutely tiny compared to the massive maze and the looming threats. Her still burning skin hissed violently as the water washed over, the pale flesh steaming visibly. After she was relatively clean, he set her among the large blanket and wiped the wet bangs from her forehead.

She was still, so incredibly dead-looking that for a while Cain wondered if she was in fact no longer among the living. He wouldn't blame her if she died, that was to be expected. What would bother him the most was the mystery surrounding her coma state and the killed monster outside, still resting in two pieces.

The initial joy of finding the oasis started to fade away from Cain as he watched her sleep. He shut the door to the hut and pushed the empty chest in front of it. Then he took the glass jar from the rucksack, filled it from the pool, and sat near Eve, drinking with reckless abandon.

He would be okay if she never woke up, if she died. Cain wouldn't be happy in the least, but he would be okay.

Or at least, that's what he told himself.

Eve whimpered in her sleep, curling around herself in the fettle position. The sudden noise and movement startled Cain so much that water sloshed from his jar and stained another wet patch on his shirt. He laughed like a manic, brushing at the spot with his hand.

"You're alright, Eve." He chuckled, reaching out and patting at her dark head. "You're alright."

* * *

**Something is wrong with Eve and Isaac has a hero complex. I have plans for these characters, many many plans. Mwahahaha...**

**Thanks for reading.**

**- Mike**


	4. Carried Away

**The Last Will - Chapter Four: Carried Away. Thanks to The8thNeedle for reviewing.**

* * *

"We've seen this before." Judas examined a crack in the wall, prodding it with his finger. "We are walking in circles."

Maggie cried out and kicked at the nearest wall in frustration.

"I knew this would happen. I knew we would be stuck down here forever!" She turned to Isaac. "This is it right? We're going to die?"

"We aren't going to die." Isaac raised a hand to placate her, although he wasn't too sure of his statement himself.

It was starting to look more and more likely that the catacombs would be their final resting place. He kicked himself mentally for the umpteenth time. It was his fault. He had led his companions into the maze for nothing, getting them more lost than ever.

"We just need a system of making sure we don't retrace our steps," He continued. "We've been marking the doors, and that's good, but we need to mark the hallways too."

"How?"

Good question. Isaac searched their messenger bag, which hung around his neck. There was the jug of water, steadily being depleted, a sharp stick and some strips of fabric. He considered making small flags from the strips, but decided against it. They could be put to better use in the future.

"We could just hug the left wall," Judas adjusted his Fez and patted the wall for emphasis. "If we just follow it, then we shouldn't end up going backwards, in theory."

Isaac considered the proposition. It was good to bounce ideas around each other, although Judas's idea seemed to be the most logical, albeit time wasting. By sticking to one wall, they would probably cover every inch of the maze eventually, if they didn't starve before then. It just seemed to daunting of a task. What they needed was a solid plan that saved them not only time, but energy.

Maggie and Judas watched Isaac as thoughts swarmed about in his head like a mass of bees. Magdalene could literally feel the seconds tick by, through the pangs of hunger in her stomach and the waves of fatigue through her bones. She was starting to get irritated.

"It sounds like a plan to me." She spoke up, immediately grabbing Isaac by the arm and taking him with her down the corridor.

Judas hurried to catch up as the pair once again pushed ahead on their own. He was pleased to see that his two companions had obviously grown closer together in the time they'd been here. In his opinion though, a relationship was more trouble than it was worth and he doubted that much good would come from it.

They followed his plan of staying close to the left wall. There were no immediate results of course, but Maggie felt her spirits start to lift slightly now that they had a course of action. Her momentary optimism was completely destroyed however as they rounded a corner.

The passageway was blocked with countless zombies. Immediately all of the dead heads swiveled and blank, dead eyes latched onto them. With their prey in sight, they started to stagger towards them.

"Get back," Isaac hissed, throwing Maggie behind him and backpedalling quickly. "Get back!"'

His hatchet was already in his hand and Isaac slashed viciously, drawing a red line across the face of the first zombie. It fell hard, but two more swiftly took its place. Judas and Maggie turned tail and dashed back the way they had come, with Isaac fast behind.

"In here!" Maggie led the way through an open doorway.

The group quickly ducked inside and as Isaac whirled to shut the door behind them, he was horrified to find that there wasn't one. He scanned the room, looking for another exit, but there wasn't one. They were in a dead end. He could hear the growls and moans of the dead ones closing in on them.

Judas, who had been feeling his way along the wall in search of a hidden exit, turned back to Isaac with a wild look in his eyes.

"What do we do?" He asked, wringing his hands fretfully.

Isaac thought quickly. There was nowhere to hide, no way to escape. They would have to fight.

"Maggie," He took off their bag and tossed it to her. "Stay back. Judas, you and I'll have to take them."

Both Maggie and Judas looked grimly at their chance for survival. Nevertheless, Judas armed himself with the wooden stake from Maggie's bag and took up position next to Isaac in front of the door. They could hear the sounds of the dead drawing closer. Isaac adjusted his grip on his hatchet and wiped some of the sweat from his brow.

As the first zombie staggered towards the door, Judas leapt forward to stab the monster in the eye. He never got the chance though, as suddenly metal bars shot down from the ceiling like a guillotine, effectively crushing the zombie and trapping the group in the room.

Both Isaac and Judas were coated in yet more red as the zombie disintegrated underneath the new doorway. The rest of the dead ones crowded against the metal bars, desperately straining to reach a piece of warm human flesh. Isaac blinked and approached the exit, stopping at a safe distance to examine the bars and mass of squirming limbs.

"What was that?" Maggie clutched the strap of the bag tightly. "Are we stuck here?"

It certainly seemed like it, even if the metal bars weren't blocking the only exit, there were dozens of zombies swarming around outside. Isaac turned back to his companions.

"Uh, let's just…" he cast about for another course of action. "We can- look around here for another way out."

They didn't even take a single step to begin a more thorough investigation of their new surroundings, when a low rumbling started underneath their feet. The group looked at each other warily, already feeling a sense of impending doom settle over them. Isaac was about to open his mouth to hand out further instructions to prevent panic, when the ground between them exploded upwards and they were thrown towards the edges of the room.

Judas collided against the wall with a sickening crack and slumped to the ground. The hatchet in Isaac's hand flew from him and skidded away across the floor when he landed. Isaac groaned and pushed himself to his feet, quickly glancing around for the new threat.

However, he could see nothing except two large holes now taking up space on the stone floor. Whatever had come from beneath had retreated below ground once more, but for how long Isaac didn't know.

"Maggie!" He spotted the woman on her hands and knees on the other side of the room. Isaac got about halfway across the room, when the ground shook violently again. He caught sight of a round head, small black eyes, a mouth lined with sharp teeth, and a long snake-like body. Then he was in the air.

The massive worm batted Isaac across the room like it was swatting a pesky fly. It quickly disappeared again, sinking through a different hole to lurk beneath their feet. The back of Isaac's head encountered something hard and stars swam before his vision. Rough hands grabbed at the sleeve of his sweater and he realized that he had landed against the metal bars. At least twenty dead and decaying hands were scrabbling at him, tearing at his clothes and attempting to hold him captive.

Maggie looked up at as she heard Isaac yell. She gasped, watching him struggle against the writhing limbs, simultaneously catching sight of a limp Judas in the corner. No sooner had she decided to rush to Isaac's aid when the worm burst up next to her and arced gracefully over her head before diving back under the earth.

She had gotten lucky as the monster had missed her, but she didn't waste any time counting her lucky stars. Maggie got shakily to her feet and rushed over to where Isaac's hatchet lay discarded. Her slim fingers wrapped around the wooden handle and she hefted it above her head. It was heavier than she expected and much harder for her to wield than for Isaac. It would have to do though, as her options were currently limited.

The worm rose into the air, again but instead of retreating again, it rotated it's spherical head and set it's beady eyes on Isaac, who was still struggling to free himself from the zombies. It's mouth opened wide and the needle-like teeth within gleamed menacingly. Like some kind of massive snake, the worm lashed out and descended upon Isaac, attempting to strike him with a powerful bite.

Maggie moved quickly though and swung the axe with all of her might. The worm gave an earsplitting screech of pain as Maggie tugged the hatchet free, only to swing it again and bury it in the worm's meaty body. Falling like a chopped tree, the worm tumbled onto it's side and Maggie quickly followed. She hacked away with the hatchet over and over again, splashing hot and sticky blood onto the ground. A jet of red shot up and hit her full in the face, but she didn't seem to notice.

There was a dull thump as the blade of the hatchet slammed against the ground, punching clean through the worm's side. Still Maggie didn't stop, gasping and screaming randomly as she slashed at the monster. A pair of arms wrapped around her middle accompanied by a shout and Maggie lashed out at her new attacker. Her elbow hit something firm and with a yelp, the arms released her.

She wheeled around, raising the hatchet above her head, and froze seeing that it was Isaac who had grabbed onto her, apparently having freed himself from the zombies.

"Mags…" He held one hand out to her, holding her back and put another hand to his nose, as twin jets of blood shot from his nostrils.

Her chest heaved and Maggie looked from Isaac's bloody face and ripped clothes, down to her own red hands, the stained hatchet, and finally the ruined corpse of the giant worm.

"Oh," Was all she said. "I guess- I got a little… carried away."

A little?

Isaac stepped forward slowly and took the hatchet from her hand. He pushed some blond locks gently from her forehead and looked into her eyes quizzically.

"What?" She asked, watching him examine her.

He was silent for a while, looking into her bright blue irises. Isaac really didn't know what he was looking for, maybe some confirmation that Maggie hadn't transformed into some psycho killer. She certainly looked the part right now. The fur collar of her coat was a dark red now along with the majority of her face and arms.

"Nothing," He shook himself. Maggie had just gotten caught up in the heat of the moment, having just saved his life after all. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "What about you?"

"I'm alright." Isaac stepped around her and knelt down next to the dead worm. "Good job, I didn't know you could fight like that."

"Me neither," She admitted. Maggie searched through her bag and pulled out a rag. "Let me see your nose." He stood up and allowed her to wipe away at his face. Isaac grimaced as she pressed the rag against him. "I'm sorry; do you think it's broken?" She fretted.

"Maybe… Just a little." He winced as she finished. Isaac watched as she struggled to put the rag away, her hand shaking too much for her to act properly. He gently snatched the cloth from her hand. "Hold still." He commanded and started to clean her face in return.

"I'm not hurt." She said dumbly as he wiped at her cheeks.

"I know, but you can't see yourself." He smirked. "You've got some red on you."

Maggie giggled, she was a little high off of her victory and relieved that they were both okay. As he quickly cleaned her forehead, Maggie realized that she wasn't breathing. Isaac seemed to notice as well, since he stopped and looked her in the eye once more.

"Thanks." She squeaked.

"Anytime."

They kissed suddenly. It wasn't sweet or loving, it was messy and hard. They were out of practice and out of breath, desperately drinking the other one in and not minding the mingled taste of sweat and blood on their partner's lips. Maggie's insides shook violently, but it wasn't from a giant, tunneling worm this time. She reached out and grabbed Isaac's sweater, steadying herself with his solid form.

A loud and very angry cough broke their chapped lips apart. Judas was sitting in the corner glaring at both of them.

"Is this important snogging?" He demanded harshly. "Because last time I checked we were kind of in the middle of something."

Isaac was still reeling from what had just happened and found his gaze being drawn back to Maggie's very full lips. He had the sudden urge to ignore Judas and bury his face in her blonde curls, but the rational side of his brain told him that Judas had a good point.

He caught sight of the odd angle in which Judas's arm was currently being held and he rushed to his friend's side. It was obvious that the bone had been broken and Judas grunted as he tried to move it.

"Just stay still." Isaac advised.

"I know that," Judas snapped, brushing off Isaac's hands. His Fez had fallen askew and he quickly adjusted it. "I need a sling or something."

Maggie rummaged through her bag and pulled out the strips of cloth that they'd been holding onto. Isaac had originally planned to use them as bandages or a tourniquet, but they would also work well in cradling Judas's injured arm.

As Magdalene got to work patching together a makeshift sling for Judas, Isaac moved away to investigate the room further. His mind was buzzing with many different thoughts and he sought to distract himself by searching for an exit. The giant worm, Maggie, Judas's new injury, this strange room, Maggie, the horde of zombies outside, and Maggie were just a few of the things currently occupying his precious mind-space.

He rubbed at his eyes furiously, trying to bring clarity back to his mind. The room proved to completely sealed off, with the only way in and out being the door currently blocked by metal bars. The holes created in the ground by the worm were too small to slide down and it was doubtful that they would lead anywhere safe. Another pit formed in his stomach.

There was no way out. He looked over to Maggie and Judas, who was squeezing his eyes shut in pain, and then over to the door where the zombies were still straining to reach them. One of them clutched a piece of his sweater in it's filthy claws, shaking it at him furiously.

_What is the point of all this? _Isaac thought angrily.

They were put in this maze for what? To be ripped apart by fearsome beasts or starved to death in some dungeon? Isaac was tired of questions. He wanted answers.

A tap on his shoulder caused him to jump slightly and when he turned to find Maggie, his pulse only quickened.

"Judas is resting now. We shouldn't move him for a while." She said, crossing her arms and sighing. "Not that we even can." She nodded over to the door.

"Yeah," Isaac exhaled deeply and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll stay up and…" He shrugged. "Something."

"Come on." She huffed.

Maggie grabbed his hand and Isaac was surprised to find her tugging him over towards the wall. They sat down together next to Judas and all three of them were silent for a while.

Right now down in the depths of hell, sandwiched between Magdalene and Judas, Isaac didn't feel any better about their situation, but he didn't feel any worse. That was enough, for the time being. He found himself starting to drift off to sleep, with Maggie's fingers braided with his and the moans of the zombies in his ears.

* * *

**Isaac and Maggie. I ship it. I know that in the actual game, Maggie's hair is more bushy than curly, and that Maggie and Eve are really just Isaac with a wig. But then again my story hasn't been following the game at all really. I hope you don't mind that.**

**Shout out to Pin and the Boss Trap Room. I'll be tossing in little nods to the original game like that often. Our entire group will be united eventually. **

**Thanks for reading.**

**- Mike**


	5. Life

**The Last Will - Chapter Five: Life**

* * *

Cain woke up with a start. He'd been having another bad dream and he was drenched in a cold sweat. He shivered and sat up, casting his glance around their tiny hut. Eve was still asleep. She had not awoken since their last encounter with the monster, although luckily the strange fever that had overtaken her had broken sometime during the night.

Eve was still swathed in the cocoon of blankets, nestled up like some a tiny bird in a nest. If she didn't wake up soon, Cain didn't know what he would do. He wouldn't leave her alone, though. He had already decided that.

Cain groaned and clambered to his feet. The cold, stone floor was wreaking havoc on his back, but he didn't risk settling with Eve among the blanket, as he feared he might disturb her. Not that he got much sleep anyway. The maze was disturbingly quiet and any noise that he did hear had the opposite effect of putting him at ease. There were fierce howls and rumbling growls outside their door, but whenever Cain investigated later, any beasts were gone, most likely leaving to roam the dark halls for less protected prey.

The pool of water in the hut was proving to be invaluable, as Cain washed his face in the cool liquid, ever mindful of ruined eye. He had washed his shirt of the majority of the blood before leaving it out to dry in the frigid air. Cain shrugged it on then, buttoning it up again and casting about for his boots.

"Eve," Cain addressed the sleeping woman, knowing full well that she most likely couldn't hear him. "I'm going to check the snares. I'll be back soon, okay?"

She didn't answer, just like she hadn't answered all of the times before. He sighed, knelt down, and brushed some of her dark locks from her brow. She was no longer burning hot, but still slightly warm to the touch.

_That's good._ Cain thought. _Means she's still alive._

He picked up her knife and the rucksack, slipping it onto his back. The door opened with a creak and Cain peered out into the larger room. It was still the same and the monster that had taken his eye lay in two pieces as it slowly decomposed. He covered his nose with the back of his hand to block the putrid odor, but it was fruitless. The smell was overpowering.

He quickly picked his way across the ground and towards the door which would lead him back into the maze. The puddles of dried blood cracked under his feet, oozing some of the congealing liquid back out into the open air. A quick peek out the door proved the corridor was currently deserted. Cain breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't really feel like fighting anything at the moment.

The first snare he had set was not too far away from their shelter and Cain headed straight there. His fingers tapped against the handle of Eve's knife in a steady rhythm. The faster he got back to her the better. Being out alone wasn't just dangerous, it was incredibly stupid. However, risks had to be made. Without food they would die within a matter of days.

His eye found the flat rock of the snare and his heart leapt up into his throat. Something had triggered the trap. Cain did his best to quell his excitement and knelt down next to the simple machine. Underneath the flat rock, a large, filthy rat was pinned. The animal squirmed under the weight, desperately trying to escape.

Without a moment of hesitation, Cain stabbed it quickly with the knife. The rodent went limp, squirting yet more blood onto the floor. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as Cain moved the stone and lifted the skewered rat, examining his catch. Plans were already buzzing around in his mind.

_A small fire, that's what we'll need. I can use some of the blanket and maybe a few sticks if I can find some._

He shrugged of his knapsack and stowed the rat away, still pondering cooking methods.

_It really isn't much, but I still have other traps to check. It's possible that we may be able to survive like this._

A feeling of blind optimism swelled in Cain's chest. He hadn't felt this good in…

He couldn't remember. It was disturbing, but not as horrifying as it had once been. Cain didn't need to know everything. He already knew enough.

A rustling noise from behind startled him and Cain whirled around, brandishing the knife as he went. He froze though as soon as he saw the source of the noise.

"Please," A woman with tattered clothes stumbled forward. "Please help me."

Cain was speechless. She was taller than Eve, but still shorter than him. Her hair was supposed to be sand colored, but it was tinged a dirty brown. Her eyes were large and glassy, as though she was about to cry and there was an odd symbol carved into her left cheek. It was two lines that intersected, they were perpendicular. It was a cross.

"What?" Cain asked dumbly, lowering his knife.

"I need help," She held her hands out to him, pleading. "We need help. I can't- there isn't…"

"What's your name?"

"S- Sarah. My name is Sarah."

"Are you alone?" He took a step forward now, casting a glance over Sarah's shoulder and searching for other companions.

"No, there are others." She lashed out suddenly and grabbed to great fistfuls of Cain's shirt, causing him to jump slightly. "We just need a little help. We're doing… very badly on our own."

"Okay," He peeled her hands away from him. "Okay, I understand. Do you have a camp around here?"

It was Sarah's turn to look around Cain, he was alone of course. She was silent for a few seconds, only gazing at the floor as she thought. Finally she spoke.

"Yes."

Cain shifted uncomfortably. Something was wrong with this woman. Her eyes were unfocused and her words slurred. If there were others like her, then Cain didn't know if he was comfortable exposing Eve to them. It was best if he scooped out the situation first.

"Is it okay if you take me there?" He asked. After making sure it was safe, he would come back for Eve. The proof of other survivors excited him more than his dead rat, although he couldn't shake a bad feeling about this woman. She either was trouble, or she was in trouble, although in the grand scheme of things, it really didn't matter which.

Sarah nodded eagerly.

"I can take you. That would be for the best." She turned on her heel and started off. Cain jogged after her.

"How many are you?"

"Not many. Not many anymore."

"There were others?" Cain watched her wince as if in pain.

"There were."

Sarah led him deeper into the catacombs. Cain kept a careful count of the corners turned and the steps taken this time. It was important that he found his way back to Eve. They didn't talk much. Sarah was quiet, almost as mute as Eve, and he could tell that his questions were starting to bother her.

"I have to ask," Cain followed Sarah through a doorway. "You wouldn't happen to know a way out would you?"

"What do you mean?" Sarah looked puzzled.

"The maze," He tapped his knuckles on a wall as they passed. "Do you know how to escape?"

"Escape…" She came to a sudden stop and Cain paused as well. Sarah was as rigid as a statue, looking into the distance. "No."

"No?"

"Yes, no. I don't know."

"You don't know a way out?"

"I don't."

Cain sighed and Sarah started walking once more. He decided to keep his mouth shut from now on. Talking only seemed to disturb Sarah and he didn't feel like scaring off the only other human life he'd seen so far. To his great surprise, it was Sarah who spoke up next.

"What happened to your eye?"

He cocked his head at Sarah, simultaneously fingering the makeshift bandage around his head. It was sort of a personal question, but he decided to answer anyway.

"It was… taken out, by a monster."

"Oh."

"What happened to your cheek?" He gestured to her face and the small cross carved there. It was recent, from what he could tell. There appeared to be stitches haphazardly patching the skin together. It looked painful.

"I was born."

"What?"

"I was born." She repeated.

Cain rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from Sarah. What was she saying? That she was born with it? That didn't seem possible, as the cuts looked fresh. He was starting to get more and more anxious with every step he took. Sarah led him further into the maze.

_I really hope she knows where she is going._

They walked in silence for a while. Cain still wanted to ask more questions, about her strange mark, her bedraggled state, and what she knew about the catacombs, but he held his tongue. It was his hope that there would be other people at her camp, people who could communicate more effectively.

"This is it." Sarah stopped at another door and pushed it open. It was rectangular room. There was a collection of burnt twigs in the center, a couple of bed rolls and several backpacks scattered about the floor.

"Where is everyone else?" Cain stepped into the room and Sarah shut the door behind him.

She didn't answer, instead crossing the room and huddling over a large duffle bag. As she riffled through it, Cain examined the rest of the room with more scrutiny. There were blood stains covering the floor and a few walls, but he was used to that by now. There was a disgusting smell that he associated with urine and rotted flesh coming from one of the bedrolls and he gave them both a wide berth.

He prodded a discarded backpack with his boot and watched as something fell from the side pocket. The object bounced once on the floor and rested at his feet. He stooped down and picked it up, finding it to be a necklace. The necklace was small and a black, metal symbol hung from the chain. Cain was just examining the pendant when he felt something being pressed against the back of his skull.

He stiffened, somehow recognizing exactly what was happening. His hands rose and Cain turned slowly and steadily on the spot. His fears were confirmed when he found Sarah to be standing there, holding a revolver to his head.

"He said…" Sarah licked her lips. "He said all non-Disciples were to be eliminated."

"Listen to me," Cain spoke deliberately and firmly, maintaining eye contact with the woman. "Just put the gun down okay. Then we can talk."

"There's no reason to talk." She cocked the revolver. "We've already had others. Will one more matter?"

"Sarah-"

"Will it matter!?" She shouted suddenly. Her voice bounced harshly off the walls and tears started to leak from her eyes.

"We…" Cain tried to move closer, but she tightened her grip on her weapon, leveling it between his eyes. "We can both… get out of here. You need help, I get that. There- there has to be a way out. We can find it together, if we just…"

"Stop!" Sarah blinked furiously, her face twisting horribly as she sobbed. "You can't…" She gasped. "There isn't…"

"Put down the gun, Sarah." He tried again.

"He'll hurt me. He will hurt me if I can't…"

"I won't let him hurt you."

Sarah laughed then. That was almost more freighting than her shouts, in Cain's opinion.

"You don't even know!" She cackled. "You don't even know who he is!"

"Then tell me," Cain took another step forward. "And I promise I'll keep you safe. You don't have to shoot me, Sarah."

"There's nothing you can do. He's too strong. There are too many of us."

"Too many what? Disciples? Are you a Disciple, Sarah?"

The revolver shook violently in her grasp and she nodded furiously, her eyes squeezed shut.

"A Disciple of whom?" Cain took another step as he talked. "You can trust me."

"No," Sarah still had her eyes closed. "I can't."

The gun went off with a sound of thunder. Cain screamed and staggered backwards as the lead slug ripped its way through his shoulder and buried itself in the wall behind him. He fell onto his back and writhed against the floor, yelling and holding his other hand over his new wound.

"You crazy bitch!" Cain scrambled away from her, only stopping when his back was pressed against the wall.

Sarah sank to the floor and let the revolver fall from her grasp. Great, powerful sobs wracked her body and she convulsed violently.

"I- I can't do this. He wants us to do things like this…"

The pain in his shoulder was blinding, but Cain pushed himself to his feet, using the wall for support. Eve's knife slid from his belt and he gripped it in his hand, ready to fend her off again.

"Who is he!?" Cain yelled at her. "What is wrong with you?"

"No!" Sarah shrieked at the top of her lungs. Her hand lashed out and grabbed the gun once more. She raised it again.

Cain pushed away from the wall, throwing himself towards her and stabbing downwards with the knife.

There was another scream, another fountain of blood, and a sound of thunder. Cain crouched over Sarah.

"Damn you for making me do this!" He cried, tugging Eve's knife from her chest. "You did this! Not me!"

Sarah gurgled blood in the back of her throat and pulled the trigger on her gun again, blasting another hole in the ceiling. Cain had been lucky to not be hit with her second or third shot; one had been enough for him.

"I'm sorry!" Cain grabbed the barrel of the revolver and wrenched it from her grasp. "I didn't- you- You did this!"

He watched the life burn out of Sarah's eyes and he stayed crouched over the woman until she went still and cold. For not the first or last time, Cain was kneeling in a pool of blood. However, this time it was the blood of another human being, one of the few. The one he had killed.

His hands started to shake.

* * *

"She was out of her mind. You did everything that you could."

Cain winced as Eve pulled the bandages tighter around his shoulder. She was sitting behind him, using some bandages to patch up his bullet wound. He had returned to the hut to find her awake and attempting to bathe in their small pool. Her dark, wet hair was brushed behind her ears and dripping steadily onto the stone floor.

He couldn't look at her, not out of embarrassment, but because of something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. She hadn't undressed before dunking herself in the water, so he wasn't trying to preserve her modesty. Her dress needed as much of a wash as she did. Nevertheless, he just kept his eye straight ahead, burning a hole in the far wall.

_I killed that woman._

The bullet had passed clean through his arm, that was a stroke of luck considering that it would be nearly impossible to dig out the metal slug without an extreme amount of pain. Not to say that he already wasn't hurting like all hell. His arm was stiff and tender. Cain doubted he would be doing any heavy lifting in the near future.

"Cain," Eve took note of his dead stare and demanded his attention. "Are you alright?"

His vision strayed over to the corner, where there now sat a collection of new supplies. Cain had raided what was left of Sarah's camp before leaving. His eye came to rest on the revolver was now tucked into a rucksack, the dark wood handle pointed outwards toward him.

"I'm fine," Cain swallowed and stood up, shrugging his shirt back on and fumbling with the buttons. "Are you?"

"Yes, I told you that I'm fine."

He turned to face her and rested his hands on his hips. Eve got the sudden feeling like he was about to chew her out.

"What happened to you? Why did you pass out like that?"

"I don't know." She lied. Eve knew what had happened to her, what had killed that monster and saved both of their lives. One day she would tell Cain, but not now. He would feel betrayed if he knew she was being dishonest, but he would feel threatened if he knew the truth. Some things were better left unsaid for the time being.

Cain sighed and made his way over to the collection of bags, pulling out his original knapsack. After checking the rest of the snares he had gotten two more rats, bringing their potential dinner to three furry rodents. Apparently the small animals were unfamiliar with people and therefore unwary of suspicious looking man-made contraptions. Hunting them proved easy. Now all they had to do was cross their fingers and hope that the meat wouldn't make them sick.

Eve watched him get to work trying to start a fire to cook the rats. His mouth was a thin line and his jaw was firm. The encounter with Sarah had obviously disturbed him, at least more than he was willing to tell her. She still had a lot of questions.

From what Cain had told her, Sarah had been part of a larger group known as the Disciples. Eve shivered, even the name made her uncomfortable for some reason. There hadn't been any other people at the camp, only Sarah. Did that mean that everyone else was dead? Was Sarah some kind of outcast? Where were the rest of the Disciples?

All these questions and more bounced around her skull, but she kept her mouth shut. Cain probably didn't know the answers, since he would most likely tell her if he did.

_Why? You aren't being honest with him, _said a voice in her head. _Why would he tell you anything?_

It was her conscious speaking. Eve squelched it down. There were two totally different situations. She had her reasons for keeping her cards close to her chest. Cain, on the other hand, didn't have anything to hide.

Feeling the urge to do something useful, Eve got up and started searching through the new bags. There were the bandages that she had already used on Cain, the revolver, a few strips of leather, and…

"Have you seen this?" Eve spoke up suddenly, pulling out the weapon. It was a bow and quiver full of arrows.

Cain looked over from where he was struggling to light several scraps of paper, with a couple of rocks. He nodded and turned back to his task, speaking over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I don't know how to use it though."

Eve fingered the drawstring and pulled on it experimentally. She would have to test it out later, as the tool could prove to be valuable. She grabbed the leather strips and her knife and retreated to the far wall.

The hut was filled with the sounds of ripping and hacking, as Eve went to work with her dagger. A small flame erupted from Cain's work and he was quick to put a few twigs and more paper on the pile. He looked over to Eve and caught her hacking away at their blankets.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, instead showing him what she had created. The blanket was divided in half and then a large slit was cut in the very center of one of the pieces. Eve threw the fabric over her head and stood up to display her new clothing.

"It's a poncho." She explained, holding her arms out at her sides.

Cain shook her head, smiling despite himself. It was certainly getting colder in the maze, he couldn't deny that. The new addition to her wardrobe had been a smart idea, although it was extremely big and seemed to swallow up the small woman entirely.

"Do you want one?" Eve asked, sitting back down again and pulling the rest of the fabric over to her.

"No." Cain skewered the first rat on a stick and held it over the flames. He was cold too, but didn't voice his discomfort. There were other uses for the remains of the blanket.

Eve nodded and started fiddling around with the leather strips. She considered chewing the strips, as the material was probably edible. But a tiny nibble on the corner of one dispelled that possibility. It was far too tough and tasted like dust.

_Besides, _she thought. _I have a better idea._

Cain cooked the rats to the best of his ability and settled in next to Eve. As he passed her one of the skewered, crispy rodents, he was surprised to find her give him something as well. Her gift was tossed lightly onto his lap and as Cain looked down at the object, he coughed once.

"What's this?"

Eve shrugged and started munching on her rat ferociously, reminding Cain of some kind of animal.

"I made it for you," She spoke around her food. "I thought you might need it."

"I… Thanks." He picked up the eye-patch and looked at it closely. It was made from the leather strips and a length of string. Cain started taking off the shoddy bandages already around his head, the ones ripped from Eve's dress.

The eye-patch fit snugly around his head and Cain was happy to find that it was much more comfortable than his original coverings. Eve watched him out of the corner of her eye. His skin was pale, contrasting harshly with his dark hair and new black eye-patch.

It wasn't hard for her to imagine him stabbing someone to death, although Eve was amused to find that she was not disturbed by this fact. If his story was true, and she had no reason to doubt him, then his hands were still clean. He had acted out of self-defense. At least, that's what both Cain and Eve told themselves.

"Here," Cain feeling gracious, dug into his pocket and pulled out the pendant he'd found at Sarah's camp. "This is for you."

Eve started. She hadn't expected him to give her anything, since he'd already done quite a bit for her. Another pang of guilt tugged at her gut. With a frown, she reached out and took the necklace.

"This is an Ankh." She said.

"A what?"

Eve pointed at the symbol dangling from the chain.

"It's called an Ankh," Eve put it around her neck and rested the cool medallion in between her breasts. "It means 'life."

"Oh," Cain had just thought it to be an interesting piece of jewelry. "Well that's good."

She nodded.

"Thank you, Cain."

"You're welcome, Eve."

They ate in silence then.

* * *

**This chapter was inspired by a lot of things and it sets up for many stuff that will happen in future chapters. I will be including more OC's as the story progresses and some will last a bit longer than Sarah. I hope yall are open to OC's and what not.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**- Mike**


	6. Sick

**The Last Will - Chapter Six: Sick. Thanks to Crystal Wolfblade and LT kevlar knight for reviewing.  
**

* * *

Something was tugging on Isaac's arm. He grunted and tried to shift away from the annoyance. But the tugging persisted, as if someone was trying desperately to wake him. The problem was, Isaac didn't want to wake up. After being chased by zombies, fighting that giant worm, and recognizing his relationship with Maggie, Isaac was exhausted.

However, whoever was hell-bent of rousing him neither seemed to notice or care how Isaac felt. The tugging persisted and no matter how hard he squeezed his eyes shut, the pressure on his sleeve would not stop. With a heavy groan, Isaac twisted his neck and opened his eyes.

His breath caught in his throat. There was a silver fox nipping at the sleeve of his sweater, apparently trying to get his attention. The animal was beautiful with big, round eyes and glittering, white fur. Isaac couldn't remember ever being completely frozen in awe, like he was now. He would never have imagined that something so majestic and lovely would exist in the harsh catacombs.

_What are you doing here? _He wandered internally.

With a trembling hand, Isaac slowly reached out and stroked a finger down the length of the fox's muzzle. The wild animal didn't retreat or make any movement at all, only gazing dolefully into Isaac's eyes. It trusted him.

As he sat, propped against the wall, petting the fox, something seemed to snap in Isaac's brain. He was hungry, so _very_ hungry. Isaac suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his fingers around the fox's neck.

The animal bucked and wailed, but Isaac held on tight. With a great amount of effort, he forced the animal to the ground and smothered it beneath his grasp. As the fox died, Isaac could have sworn he saw a tear leak from a dark eye.

Once dead, the fox lay still as Isaac tore into it's side with a ravenous fury. He pulled at the bones and ripped at the meat, shoving whole fistful of bloody flesh into his mouth with reckless abandon. It was the most glorious thing Isaac had ever tasted and instantly his stomach started to swell with the glorious presence of food.

_Wait until Maggie and Judas see this. _Isaac thought gleefully. _There's enough food here to feed us for days!_

When he had eaten his fill though, Isaac looked down and was startled to see that he had picked the fox clean. The fresh bones glittered up at him merrily as if made of diamond and for the moment, Isaac wasn't all that worried about not saving any of the sweet meat for his friends.

_There are bound to be more animals in the maze. _He reasoned, settling back against the wall.

No sooner had he closed his eyes, when an abrupt searing hot pain erupted from deep within his stomach. Isaac cried out in anguish and cradled his aching mid-section. The fire was so intense that he was sure that he would be cooked alive and left for some other beast to pick apart like he had the fox before.

Red blotches spread across his vision and Isaac wept, cursing himself for killing the fox, the most beautiful fox. It was so elegant, so intelligent.

His heart gave one last beat before shriveling up and curling around itself like a dead leaf. Isaac was going to die. He would never sleep well again, kiss his Magdalene, or see the sun. As his own life faded away, one word popped into his head. It was spoken by a soft voice, from far away, but incredibly close all the same. One word, a cure for everything.

_Eden._

* * *

Something was tugging on Isaac's arm. He opened his eyes quickly and lashed out with a fierce kick. A voice cried out in pain and a responsive fist connected with Isaac's temple. His vision blurred and he scrambled onto his hands and knees, trying to rise from the floor. A boot connected with his ribs and Isaac yelped in pain, before crumpling against the hard floor.

There were more voices, people were around him. Rough hands grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Isaac blinked blurriness from his eyes and gasped when the scene came fully into view.

There were four men, three brandishing knives and one a long rifle. Judas and Maggie were being held up against the wall and Isaac was thrown over to them, colliding none too softly with Judas.

"Alright," spoke the one aiming the rifle. "Empty your pockets, give us everything you got."

Isaac was still slightly in shock, having just registered that his encounter with the fox had been a dream and that they were in reality, being robbed.

"Wait!" Isaac talked swiftly. "What are you doing? How did you get here?"

"Shut up," a knife was flashed before his eyes. "Just do as yer told."

One of the men was leering over Maggie, pressing his knife against her throat and smiling horribly as she whimpered. It was all happening too fast for Isaac to process and he cast about desperately for something to say.

"Why are you doing this?!" He demanded. "Why us?"

"_Why you!?_" The marauder with the gun repeated incredulously, before countering. "Why anybody?" His eyes flickered down to the messenger bag currently hanging from Judas's neck. With a shout of victory, the marauder grabbed the strap and pulled it forcefully from around Judas's head. The Fez toppled from his head and bounced feebly on the ground as the man started rummaging through their belongings.

"Well I'll be damned!" He cried, pulling out their jug of water. "They've brought us some of the earth's blood, how nice of them."

The marauder uncapped the bottle and drank greedily spilling the precious liquid down his front before passing it to his companion. He returned to the bag and pulled out Judas's journal, before straightening up and smiling at Isaac.

"What's in here eh? Some dirty secrets or somethin?"

"Stop!" Maggie cried, trying to push away from the wall. The man holding her tightened his grip and slammed her back.

"You leave her be!" Isaac shouted. His hand flashed behind his back and he drew his hatchet. Immediately all of the marauders wheeled on him, weapons raised.

"Whoa there, brother." The man with the gun, most likely the leader, smirked at him. "There's no need for that." He cocked his rifled with a deafening click. "Why don't you just put that down for us?"

"Like hell!" Judas snarled, standing firm next to Isaac. "Who the hell are you people?"

"We are the last men standing. You just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You don't have to do this," Maggie pleaded. "We're like you. We just want to stay alive too!"

The leader sighed and rubbed at his forehead.

"Why do they always say that?"

Isaac swallowed hard, his throat was parched. This was the last thing he expected: that they would find other survivors and immediately screwed over by their fellow man. It had to be some kind of sick joke. Fate couldn't be this cruel.

"Let's make a deal." Isaac held his hatchet high, keeping his eye on the man's rifle. "We'll give you half of our supplies and you let us go."

The collection of men seemed to think that was high class humor, as they all erupted into laughter.

"Are you serious?!" the leader spluttered. "Why the hell would we make a deal like that, when we could just cut you up and take _everything_?"

"Not the girl though," smiled the man who'd been holding Maggie. "We won't hurt her, right?"

"Not one hair." The leader reassured, grinning like a lunatic at some private joke.

Maggie shivered uncontrollably as the men scrutinized her plainly. Things were very quickly spiraling out of control.

"Well then," The leader continued, readjusting his grip on his rifle. "I believe we've been talking for far too long."

Isaac took in everything. The metal bars blocking the zombies were gone, the door was open. The giant worm still lay slain and from this perspective, it seemed like they had no way out.

_Kill them. _Said a voice in the back of his head.

Isaac stiffened; this voice was very different from the one he'd heard in his dream.

_That word!_

On a whim, Isaac blurted out the only thing he could think to say.

"Eden!"

All of the marauders froze and fixed their gazes on him once more.

"What the hell did you say, boy?"

"I- eh," Isaac fumbled. "I said, Eden."

The leader lunged forward and thrust the barrel of his gun underneath Isaac's chin. Maggie screamed shrilly and Isaac was forced back until he was pressed firmly against the wall.

"Tell me," The rifleman growled. "What is Eden?"

Isaac swallowed hard again; his Adam's apple had trouble getting around the gun barrel. He honestly had no idea what Eden was. The word had only been spoken in a last ditch effort to fend off their attackers and it had obviously made some effect.

"If you kill us," Isaac spoke steadily. "You'll never know."

He prayed silently that this man wouldn't call his bluff. However, his prayer went unanswered. The leader kept his eyes locked with Isaac's, but pointed to Judas none the same.

"Slit this one's throat."

Two marauders grabbed Judas by the arms and threw him down to his knees. Judas cried out as his broken arm was jostled and Maggie screamed again. They pressed a knife to his neck, about to slash open some of his more important arteries.

"No! Just wait please!"

"Sorry, brother. It's over."

It was at that moment when they all heard the noise. It was a strange scrabbling of nails on hard stone and a rustling drag, as if a pile of leaves was being blown in the wind. Every single person turned and looked towards the door as hundreds of spiders started pouring in from the corridor.

"Oh shit!" One marauder yelled as he was instantly swarmed. The spider's climbed up his legs and arms, with some even leaping straight onto his head. He fell with a horrible scream and disappeared under a mass of furry bodies.

"Stay tight!" The leader yelled, turning his rifle from Isaac and firing into the swarm. "Hold formation!"

His words fell upon deaf ears though, as the marauders were quickly scattered. Judas jumped to his feet and tackled the nearest one, wrestling him for his knife. A spider leapt onto Judas and dug it's mandibles into his back, but he paid no attention to it.

He got himself above the marauder and stuck him repeatedly in the nose with his knuckles. The back of the man's head pounded against the stone floor and after a couple of punches, he went still.

Maggie seemed initially unsure of what she should do. She watched two marauders get devoured before her very eyes and a third beaten by Judas. The final leader was making quick work of the spiders with his gun, blowing massive holes in the swarm with every shot.

She made a quick decision and leapt forward, grabbing their pack and slinging it over her shoulder. If they were going to run, they would need their gear. Judas's journal had been dropped near her and she snatched it up, using it to bat away one of the leaping arachnids.

Her stomach rolled over as she watched the bodies of the three fallen marauders being carried away by the swarm. It was a horrible fate in her opinion, to be eaten by uncountable small predators.

Across the room, the leader of the marauders cleared more of the floor with another well aimed bullet. He had just pulled back to bolt and was about to fire again, when Isaac struck him on the back of the head with the handle of his hatchet.

The last marauder standing stumbled away, turning to find Isaac advancing on him. Isaac didn't want to kill this man, not in the least. It just wasn't in his nature. Nevertheless, if it kept him and his companions safe, then Isaac felt resigned to do what needed to be done.

He never got the chance though, as at that moment, the man tripped backwards and fell into the swarm of spiders. Isaac lunged forward to grab him and pull the marauder free, but it was too late. He listened to his screams as he was carried off, grimacing despite himself.

The spiders, having gotten enough fresh meat to satisfy even the most ravenous of their group, decided it was time to make their leave. They left Isaac, Judas, Maggie alone, standing in a rough triangle and completely unsure if what just happened had been real or not.

The number of people in the maze had just dropped significantly. He should have felt relieved to come out of the encounter unscathed and with their group intact, but Isaac just felt sick.

"Well," Judas hesitatingly scooped up his Fez. "That just happened."

* * *

**I know this chapter only raised more questions and answered absolutely none, but bear with me guys. You may not know where this story is going, but I do and I promise you that it is going somewhere. **

**You may also have noticed that there are big differences in some of the chapter lengths. This is because I typically write out a whole lot and then chop that stuff up to create my chapters. I divide them by content not by word count. **

**Thanks for reading.**

**- Mike**


	7. The Blind Eye

**The Last Will - Chapter Seven: The Blind Eye. Thanks to Crystal Wolfblade for reviewing.**

* * *

His breath came out in frosty bursts and the frigid air gnawed at his exposed forearms, hands, and nose. Cain took a delicate step forward and raised the bow up to his eye-level. As he pulled the drawstring back, his shoulder wound screamed in displeasure, but he ignored it. It was worth the stabbing pain for the chance to snag more dinner.

A small bundle of fur was huddled several yards away from him, ripping at what looked like another dead rat and remaining completely oblivious to Cain's presence. He took another step, aiming his arrow at the bony hide of the wild dog. Underneath the thin, mangled skin and fur, he could see the definite shape of ribs poking out from the animal's side. For a second, Cain almost felt sorry for the beast. It was as hungry as he was and just as trapped in the catacombs.

Then his stomach rumbled loudly and Cain cursed mentally as the dog lifted his head at the noise. It cocked it's head and turned to set it's sad eyes upon the man. Cain took another step and suddenly his foot slid out from underneath him. He fired his arrow, the dog darted away, and Cain connected hard with the firm ground.

"Dammit to hell!" Cain sat up and threw the bow away from him. The primitive weapon was useless in his hands. He was still grumbling under his breath when he heard footsteps behind him. He leapt to his feet and drew the revolver from his belt.

Eve froze mid-step when the gun was pointed squarely between her eyes. Cain instantly lowered it.

"What are you doing out here?" He rasped, shoving the revolver back into its holster.

"I heard you shout. What happened?" She was still wearing her ridiculously large, makeshift poncho and her knife was clutched tightly in her hand.

"I just fell down," Cain looked to the ground and spotted the patch of ice that had caused him to trip in the first place. He knelt down next to it. "It's getting colder. In the maze, I mean."

Eve nodded and pulled her poncho tighter around herself. Her legs were open to the elements and they shook like a pair of reeds in the wind.

"You shouldn't be out here," She walked over and picked up the discarded bow. "You were shot yesterday; you lost a lot of blood."

"And you were unconscious yesterday."

"Well I'm awake today."

He smirked and straightened up. Eve tried to hand the bow back to him, but he refused it.

"I can't use that thing to save me life," He explained, turning and leading the way back down the corridor. He patted the heavy bandages still wrapped around his bullet wound. "I feel like I'm going to split in half every time I try."

"Maybe I can give it a shot?" Eve offered, tugging on the string experimentally.

Another smirk flashed across Cain's face. Eve may have currently been the most physically sound of the pair, but she was much smaller than Cain and he seriously doubted that she could use the weapon effectively.

"Sure, why not?" He chose not to voice his opinion for the time being.

They walked in silence for a while, working their way through the cold and dark passageways and meandering back towards their hut. The lack of conversation didn't bother either of them all that much. Cain was used to Eve only speaking when necessary and Eve was delighted to find Cain as a man of few words. It was a companionable silence, although there were certain things that needed to be discussed.

"So, our house," Eve began, catching Cain's eye. "Is it _home_ or just a stop along the way?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but found that he truthfully didn't know the answer.

_What are our options? Stay in the hut, grow old and die together? Or head back into the maze and risk our lives there?_

Was braving the unknown worth giving up their tiny sanctuary? Cain had no idea. The exit to the catacombs could be around the next corner or hundreds of miles away. It was all too easy to cling to their simple way of life, for however long it would last. The possibility that some other enormous could tear through and kill them both while they slept.

_Also the ice._

Cain thought of the small patch that had caused him to slip and miss their next meal. What if their precious little of pool of water, which had saved their lives, froze over with the ever decreasing temperature? Sure they could chip away at the ice and then melt it for water, but what if they couldn't get a fire going? What if they starved or died of dehydration simply because they stayed in one spot for too long? What if they ventured out and were killed instantly?

Eve watched an internal battle wage within Cain as he debated with himself. She bit her lip and waited for him to say something, but as the minutes ticked by, he remained silent. His forehead was drawn together in a tight crease and he appeared deep in thought. She regretted asking her question suddenly. He already had too much on his fractured mind.

She sighed and looked at her feet, remembering his encounter with the woman Sarah. Cain hadn't wanted to talk about it anymore than he already did and Eve didn't blame him. She didn't know if she was capable of killing someone on purpose. However in the heat of the moment, Eve didn't know what she would do.

A vision flashed through her mind. There were long and sharp claws, black, leathery skin, and a vicious howl. Her vision was obscured by smoke and an unimaginable power surged through her body. It wasn't a vision really, but a memory. It was a reminder of what she was, in fact, capable of.

"Hey," She spoke again and drew Cain from his brooding. "Why don't we just stay there until we figure it out, okay?"

Eve was talking about the hut, whilst her mind was elsewhere. She needed to distract herself from her hidden, pungent memories, as she could still feel the muscles rip under her claws and tasted the flesh between her fangs. It sent shivers down her spine, pleasurable shivers.

_Cain may have acted like a monster, but I am a monster. _Eve thought, feeling fear mingle with the bloodlust.

"Yes, that sounds good to me." Cain nodded, not noticing Eve's sudden discomfort. "Why don't you go back to the hut and I'll check the snares."

"I'll go with you." She blurted. Eve didn't want to be alone at the moment.

They came to a stop at a crossroads. One hallway led back to the hut while another stretched out into the maze. Cain looked down the hallway and towards where he had set up some more snares, resting his hands on his belt.

"I don't know," he glanced at her. "Don't you think you should go rest?"

"I feel fine and did you forget the last time you went out on your own?"

She felt no satisfaction at the moment of discomfort that passed over his face at her words. The murder of Sarah was still a raw nerve with him.

"Fine," Cain growled. "Just… keep up- okay?"

She nodded and followed his lead. The gruesome memories had faded gradually from her mind and she felt her spirits lift slightly.

_You don't need to look after me. _She stared at the back of his head and his mess of dark hair. _If only you knew just how well I can take care of myself._

She wouldn't tell him though, not yet.

They first snare wasn't that far away and when they reached it, Cain's frown deepened. There was no rat trapped beneath the heavy stone, although the trap had been triggered. He crouched and began re-setting the trap, as Eve kept watch. She was just tapping an arrow against her leg, when she saw it. The dog that Cain had tried to shoot earlier had just slinked around a corner and was now sniffing the air about twenty or so yards away.

Her heart leapt into her throat, and she softly nudged Cain with her toe to get his attention. He followed her gaze and froze when he saw the dog. With a nod, he allowed Eve to attempt to use the bow and arrow. She took a step forward and pulled back on the drawstring, resting the feathers of her arrow against her smooth cheek.

Eve exhaled and loosened her grip on the string, firing the arrow towards the dog. The wild animal howled in pain as the sharp tip buried itself in it's flank. The dog scampered away as quickly as possible, disappearing around the corner and trailing a line of blood behind it. Eve and Cain gave chase, abandoning the silly, simple trap for a more substantial source of food.

Eve rounded the corner, drawing another arrow and fitting it into her bow. She planned on firing again at the dog, but it was nowhere in sight. She jogged down the corridor with Cain on her heels, caught up in the rush of the hunt and therefore oblivious to the yawning pit in the middle of the floor.

The ground disappeared beneath her as she fell, only to reappear again all too quickly. She landed on her feet and her ankle twisted painfully, causing her to scream in pain.

"Eve!" Cain slid to a stop at the lip of the pit and looked down at his companion. "Damn, are you alright?"

Tears pricked at her eyes and she slumped against the wall of the pit, clutching at her throbbing ankle.

"Yes." She croaked up at him. "I'm fine, ugh- my ankle."

"Alright, just hang on. I'm going to get you out."

The pit wasn't too deep, maybe about six feet below ground level. The mouth was a perfect circle and the walls were as smooth as glass, although they were made of the same hard stone as the rest of the maze. It didn't look natural, it was too perfect. Cain caught sight of something that Eve had failed to notice with her new injury, there was a pile of eggs lying near the wall not two feet away from her.

He was filled with a sudden anxiety.

_The pit is a nest. I need to get Eve out right now!_

He shrugged his rucksack from his shoulders and started shifting through their belongings. There had been quite a few supplies at Sarah's camp; among them were the revolver, the supplies for Cain's eye-patch, and currently a most useful length of rope. He quickly tied a loop in one end, before tossing it into the pit and onto Eve's lap.

"Put your good foot in that, and I'll help you climb out."

Eve did as she was told, blinking back tears as she put as little weight as possible on her injured ankle. With her one foot in the rope and her hands on the smooth walls of the pit, she pushed herself upwards as Cain tugged with all of his strength. She managed to get her fingers over the lip of the hole and when Cain grabbed onto her by the forearms, he managed to haul her out.

They both collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavy. Eve's ankle throbbed painfully and Cain's shoulder berated him for putting more pressure on it, but neither of them voiced their discomfort for the time being. For the moment, they just wanted to lie on the floor and rest.

Unfortunately the universe had other plans. Eve forced herself to roll off of Cain and raise her head as a strange noise reached her ears. She screamed again, this time from surprise, as she saw what looked like an enormous bird bearing down on them. Apparently the mother had returned home and was unhappy to find her nest disturbed by the foolish humans.

Cain started at Eve's warning and as he saw the massive bird, he clambered to his feet and drew his revolver quickly. Eve cast about for the bow, only to realize that she had abandoned it in the nest. Her knife was still tucked in her belt though, and she pulled it out. For all the good it would do.

The bird dove at them and Cain squeezed down on the trigger of his gun. A shower of blood exploded from the bird's chest, but the winged best didn't seem to be bothered. It shrugged off the blow and batted Cain away with a sweep of it's large wings, screeching all the while.

Eve slashed with her dagger, but missed and was tossed off balance, stumbling on her twisted ankle. Razor sharp talons dug through her poncho and into her shoulder. All at once, Eve found herself separated from the ground again as she was carried aloft.

"Cain!" She screamed as the bird carried her away.

The man in question was staggering back to his feet, shaking away the stars that danced in front of his eye, due to the bird sweeping him away like a speck of dust. He watched in horror as his companion was taken away from him.

"Eve!" He grabbed the rucksack from the floor and sprinted after her, running flat out down the hall. "Eve!"

* * *

"If you ask me, they got what they deserved."

Isaac turned at the random statement. It was Judas who had spoken as he rummaged through a backpack that one of the late marauders had dropped. His broken arm was tucked close to his side like a wing and his mouth was a grim slash.

"I mean, honestly." Judas continued. "It serves them right if they thought they could just jump us like that."

Isaac grunted in response and looked away from his friend to gaze back down the corridor. He was leaning against the doorway and keeping watch over the group. The rifle that had once belonged to the lead marauder was now tucked under his arm, serving as a source of comfort.

The metal bars that had once trapped the group in the room were gone once again and for some reason, Isaac was sure that they wouldn't return. The worm monster that had lived in this dungeon was dead thanks to Maggie and therefore there was no reason for the maze to keep them there. However, in Isaac's opinion, the sooner they got out of there the better. This area just had too many recent, horrible memories.

A shiver crawled across his skin as he remembered the death of those men. He could still hear their screams, along with the clicking of thousands of tiny spider fangs. Isaac couldn't help but wonder if there were other people in the catacombs who had similar dispositions.

_What if everyone here is a lunatic?_

He didn't want to live in a world where there were only two people that he could trust. Sure Maggie and Judas were good company, but he wanted his world to be bigger than that. He wanted to find civilization, safety, and above all a place to call home. Maybe he'd settle down with Maggie? That wouldn't be so bad.

The woman in question emerged from the dark hallway and frowned when she caught sight of him.

"You don't need to watch over me every second. I can use the restroom on my own, you know?" Maggie huffed and leaned against the doorframe too, opposite Isaac.

"I know. I wasn't peeping," He smiled at her. "Just keeping an eye out."

"_Sure_." She winked at him, but it was forced. He could tell that she wanted to reassure him that she was alright. However, her thin frame shook with an unexplained chill, her arms were folded over her middle, and her blue eyes were wide and fearful. The encounter with the marauders had shaken her greatly.

Isaac coughed and pretended not to notice as she pulled her coat tighter around herself.

"We should pack up and head out. There's no reason to be around here anymore."

She nodded and patted his arm as she brushed past him and disappeared into the room to join Judas. Isaac sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose in between his thumb and index finger.

_I swear: nothing bad is going to happen to you. _

It was a bold promise. Isaac hoped more than anything that he could hold himself to it. A silvery glint caught his eye and he craned his neck to see a patch of frost growing on the wall near the ceiling.

"Hmm." He hummed quietly, watching the ice beginning to take hold.

_That's possibly a blessing in disguise. We could melt the ice for water if we get desperate enough._

Isaac heard a squeal from inside behind him. He turned and dashed into the chamber, raising the rifle as he went. It was very long and unwieldy, not to mention quite old. The leader of the marauders had used it effectively and although Isaac was glad to now possess weapon, he wasn't yet confident in his abilities. The gun might prove to be more trouble than it's worth.

For the time being though, he rooted it against his shoulder and investigated the outburst. It had been Maggie. She was standing above the marauder's bag and holding something in her hands. A wide grin split her face and what looked like the beginning of tears glistened in the corners of her eyes.

"I can't believe it" She cried for joy. "Pants!"

She stepped into them, not even bothering to remove her grimy sandals first. It was just her luck that they were a good four inches too short. They were made of what looked like canvas, with rough hems and holey knees. She couldn't help but think that the light brown clashed horribly with her dress.

_Oh well, beggars can't be choosers after all. _She thought.

"Nice high-waters." Judas laughed. He stood up, shouldering their messenger bag. "I think Isaac should get the next piece of clothing we find. He hasn't gotten anything yet."

"If it's another one of those," Isaac jabbed a finger at the Fez perched atop Judas's head. "I'll pass, thank you very much."

Maggie giggled and Judas grumbled something about Isaac being, _"just jealous". _Although the sick feeling in Isaac's gut following the earlier bloodbath hadn't faded completely, it was lessened somewhat. Talking with his companions had a calming effect on him, more powerful than any dangerous rifle.

They set off soon after that. Isaac carried the gun, Maggie- the marauder's backpack, and Judas- their worn messenger bag. Both Maggie and Judas had equipped themselves with some of the abandoned knives and overall, they were pleased with the new addition to their gear.

Judas wrote in his journal as they walked, documenting their encounter with the other survivors. Meanwhile, Isaac found himself relaying the events of his strange dream to Maggie all of the sudden. He told her about the beautiful fox and how he'd eaten it, leaving out some of the murderous details. When he finished she seemed perplexed by the tale.

"What do you think it means?" She pondered. "Should we not eat foxes?"

"I don't know. There might not even be foxes in the maze." He scratched his chin; there was a good amount of stubble forming across his face. "It felt so real too and then there was that word, Eden."

"Those men seemed to know what that was, or at least they'd heard of it. Maybe Eden is the way out, or someplace safe."

"Maybe."

The lead marauder had wanted information on Eden, information that Isaac had not possessed. It was possible that Eden was a safe haven, since, in the dream the word had come when Isaac was suffering the most.

Maggie's fingers found his and they clung to each other. He watched a tinge of pink creep up into her cheeks and he fought back a chuckle. It was amazing that after all that had happened, the near death experience and the kiss; she could still be embarrassed by the simple display of affection.

"I think…" Isaac leaned close and spoke softly in her ear. "That you are a really good kisser."

"Oh really," She smirked at him. "Do you have anyone to compare me to?"

The honest answer was: no. Isaac didn't remember anything before the catacombs, as she well knew. Still, the banter was fun.

"Nope and that's fine by me."

She pecked him real quick on the cheek, spreading warmth across his face. Judas watched the display and couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lip. He was happy for his friends, although he couldn't help but wonder how he fit into the grand scheme of things. In a choice between each other or him, the answer was obvious, leaving no doubt in his mind that he would be left for dead if an ultimate situation ever arose.

Judas scratched a note of that in his book, feeling a twinge of guilt at his moment of doubts. Both Isaac and Maggie would stand by him to their last breath, maybe…

There was already too much on his mind to add this onto his ever-growing pile of paranoia. Judas bit his tongue as he wrote, distracting himself from his traitorous thoughts.

He was so engrossed in his journal that he didn't notice that Isaac and Maggie had stopped walking. Judas collided with their backs and raised his head, about to question them. Then he saw what they were staring at.

On the wall, written in a messy red scrawl was one word, accompanied by an arrow.

"Eden." Maggie read.

Isaac glared at the word, taking in every letter and inch of what he hoped was paint, but knew was something else. He remembered his dream, he remembered the marauders. The arrow next to the word pointed down a side corridor, urging them to head down an unfamiliar path, towards unfamiliar lands.

Isaac gripped Maggie's hand a little tighter and nodded at Judas.

"Let's go."

* * *

He ran until he could no longer hear her heart-wrenching screams or terror. Her already thin voice faded away, with his name being that last thing he heard from her. He kept running until he could no longer hear the beating of the wind by the giant bird's equally large wings, until there was no sound except for his ragged breaths and his boots against the unforgiving icy, stone floor.

He squinted ahead with his one and only eye, trying to catch a glimpse of her pale skin, the bird's yellow eyes, or her bright, silver knife. There was nothing though, no sign of life in the endless blackness that stretched out ahead of him for all eternity.

He ran until he came to a crossroads. His shirt was soaked with sweat, as was his hair, which clung to his forehead like black vines. His throat was raw from the frozen air and his lungs burned from invisible fire. There were three passageways he could take. None of them looked anymore promising than the others and as he did a quick turn, he found himself completely lost. The walls all looked the same.

He took one step, then another. He stumbled slightly and the revolver slid from his grasp to clatter against the ground. He followed soon after, collapsing onto a knee and then falling over onto his side.

Cain rolled onto his back and took deep, heavy breaths. He was lightheaded and sore, having run for so long and so far that he had trouble feeling anything from the waist down. The heart in his chest beat like a drum, filling his ears with the sound of rushing blood and the pounding of solid beats. It was irregular, as if it was struggling to find rhythm. It sounded like footsteps.

He twisted his neck and what he saw made him want to bark with laughter. However, he didn't have it in him at the moment. It was footsteps alright, but not from a human or any of the like. The wild dog had returned to him, with Eve's arrow still protruding from it's haunch.

The dog limped over to him, still leaving a red line in it's wake. For a second Cain thought that the beast would snuggle up next to him, and then he watched it's lip curl up in a snarl, flashing rows of white fangs. The dog wanted revenge, not a place to rest it's mangy head.

"Serves me right I guess," Cain's voice was hoarse, but he forced the words out anyway. "I couldn't keep her safe. I can't even look after myself."

A single rasping, horrible chuckle actually escaped from his lips then. He had made a joke, unintentionally of course.

_Look after myself. _He mused, thinking of his one remaining eye.

Cain would have trouble looking after anything for the rest of his life, which wasn't long if the wild dog had it's way with him. The dog lumbered up to his side and opened it's jaws wide, hitting Cain with a wave of foul breath. It would go for the throat first. The dog had never killed a human before, but the knuckle of Cain's Adam's apple looked like a good enough place to strike, bring on quick death.

It all would have ended for Cain right then and there, if it wasn't for a heavy grunt and a swinging arm. The dogs head caved in before his very eye and for a beat, Cain was sure that he was hallucinating. The dead animal leaked blood from it's ruined eyes and ears, crumpling like a paper bag on itself. Standing tall above Cain and his late would-be murder stood a person. Cain asked a question, the only questioned that mattered at the moment.

"Eve?" He croaked.

The person leaned over him and Cain quickly noticed that this man was not his missing companion. He was big, tall and muscular. If there had been a sun in the catacombs, the stranger would have been blocking it out completely. The sleeves of his shirt where ripped off, showcasing large biceps. He was apparently immune to the cold. In his hand there was a large carpenter hammer, dripping with the blood of the dog and others unlucky to find themselves beneath it before. Sheets of brown hair were pulled back from his face with a red scarf. The man cocked his head as he looked down at Cain.

"Nope, there's no Eve here." The man spoke with a deep voice. "Are you alright? What happened to your eye?"

Cain opened his mouth to speak, but exhaustion overtook him and he passed out.

**End of Part One**

* * *

**Well this is the end of the beginning for "The Last Will". Next time, there is the road to Eden, a meeting of the minds, and a test of strength.  
**

**This story is just starting, so stick around if you are interested. This is a pretty small fandom, but I love writing for it nonetheless. As of right now, this is the longest story in The Binding of Isaac fandom, which is cool I guess.**

**Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon.**

**- Mike**


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